2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43

Posted on 28 October 2023 by John Hartz

Story of the Week

What is COP28? Everything you need to know about the UN climate summit in Dubai

After a record-shattering year, the world is looking to the United Nations conference in the UAE next month to put us on a safer path. 

World leaders are gathering in the Middle East in a month’s time on a mission to curb climate change.

As the summit’s name suggests, COP28 is the 28th iteration of this UN climate conference.

And as another year of devastating extreme weather has made deadly clear – from record Greek wildfires to Libyan floods made 50 times worse by global warming – we’ve not tackled it yet.

Scientists say 2023 is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, as time runs out to keep global warming below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels – as per the Paris Agreement decided at COP21.

So can our governments honour their previous promises, and seize the opportunity to put the world on a safer path? Here’s everything you need to know in the run-up to the crucial climate summit. 

Click here to access the entire article as originally posted on the Euronews Green website.

What is COP28? Everything you need to know about the UN climate summit in Dubai After a record-shattering year, the world is looking to the United Nations conference in the UAE next month to put us on a safer path. by Staff, Euronews Green, Oct 28, 2023;

Articles posted on Facebook

Sunday, Oct 22, 2023

• Impact of farming on climate crisis will be a key Cop topic – finally Cop28 will discuss how global food production must become sustainable to stay within 1.5C Analysis by Fiona Harvey, Environment, The Guardian, Oct 20, 2023
• Climate Change Is Keeping Therapists Up at Night How anxiety about the planet’s future is transforming the practice of psychotherapy. by  Brooke Jarvis, New York Times Magazine, Oct 21, 2023
• Corn Harvests in the Yukon? Study Finds That Climate Change Will Boost Likelihood That Wilderness Gives Way to Agriculture As new areas become suitable for planting, researchers predict that vast swaths of biodiversity will be at risk, particularly in northern regions and the tropics. by Kiley Price, Science, Inside Climate News, Oct 19, 2023
• Will the Earth breach its 1.5C guardrail sooner than we thought? When the ‘godfather of climate science’ says the extraordinary heat during the northern summer points to accelerated warming, governments should listen Opinion by Adam Morton, Comment is Free, The Guardian, Oct 18, 2023

Monday, Oct 23, 2023

• El Niño is nowhere near done wreaking havoc on the world’s weather 2023 will break more weather records as the southern hemisphere heads into spring. by Umair Irfan, Climate, Vox, Oct 12, 2023
• A Shadowy Corner of International Law Is Threatening Climate Action, U.N. Expert Warns An obscure but far-reaching system allowing corporations to sue governments is being “weaponized” by the fossil fuel and mining industries, according to a new U.N. report, jeopardizing progress in developing nations. by Nicholas Kusnetz & Katie Surma, Politics & Policy, Inside Climate News, Oct 22, 2023
• Children at ‘existential risk’ from climate crisis, UK’s top paediatrician says Exclusive: Physical and mental impact on young people needs immediate action, Dr Camilla Kingdon says by Andrew Gregory, Society, The Guardian, Oct 21, 2023
• Airlines say they’ve found a route to climate-friendly flying Cleaner, faster, cheaper — the aviation industry’s plan to decarbonize air travel, explained. by Umair Irfan, Vox, Oct 19, 2023
• Hydrogen boiler push to continue despite verdict of UK Watchdog Government and gas-focused industry body resist conclusion that heat pumps are ‘only viable’ option for heating UK homes by Fiona Harvey, Environment, The Guardian, Oct 21, 2023
• Rapid ice melt in west Antarctica now inevitable, research shows Sea level will be driven up no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, putting coastal cities in danger by Damian Carrington, Environment, The Guardian, 

Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023

• The Pacific Northwest Scored $1B To Create A Clean Hydrogen Hub. Now What? State leaders and a range of prospective fuel producers, industrial consumers, trade unions, utility companies and several Southwest Washington tribes collaborated on a joint pitch for the billion-dollar slice of federal money. by Tom Banse, Oregon Capital Chronical/InvestigateWest, Oct 13, 2023
• Global CO2 emissions expected to reach a new high in 2023 by Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com, Oct 22, 2023
• Ex-officials at UN farming body say work on methane emissions was censored Exclusive: Pressure from agriculture lobbies led to role of cattle in rising global temperatures being underplayed by FAO, claim sources by Arthur Neslen, Environment, The Guardian, Oct 20, 2023
• Arctic Cyclones Are Getting Stronger, More Damaging As the climate warms, Arctic cyclones are lasting longer and becoming stronger, leading to more sea ice loss by Chelsea Harvey, E&E News/Scientific American, Oct 23, 2023
• Where Malaria Is Spreading A new Washington Post analysis shows that climate change and demographic growth could put more than 5 billion people at risk for malaria by 2040 by Rachel Chason, Kevin Crowe, John Muyskens & Jahi Chikwendiu, Climate, Washington Post, Oct 223, 2023
• At a glance – What is the net feedback of clouds? by John Mason & Baerbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Oct 24, 2023
• Earth’s climate shatters heat records. These 5 charts show how. by Ian Livingston, Weather, Washington Post, Oct 24, 2023

Wednesday, Oct 25, 2023

• What is a strong El Niño? Meteorologists anticipate a big impact in winter 2023, but the forecasts don’t all agree by Aaron Levine, Environment & Energy, The Conversation US, Oct 12, 2023
• More than 200 scientists from 19 countries want to tell us the Southern Ocean is in trouble by Andrew J Constable & Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Environment & Energy, The Conversation AU, Oct 18, 2023
• Himalayan communities are under siege from landslides – and climate change is worsening the crisis by Ashutosh Kumar, Eedy Sana & Ellen Beatrice Robson, Environment & Energy, The Conversation UK, Oct 24, 2023
• ‘It’s Like Our Country Exploded’: Canada’s Year of Fire Endless evacuations, unimaginable smoke and heat, 45 million acres burned — is this the nation’s new normal? by David Wallace-Wells, New York Times Magazine, Oct 24, 2023
• Factcheck: 21 misleading myths about electric vehicles Electric vehicles (EVs) significantly cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions in almost all circumstances and are the key technology for decarbonising road transport. by Simon Evans, UK Policy, Carbon Brief, Oct 24, 2023
• Hurricane Otis unleashes a ‘nightmare scenario’ Category 5 strike on Acapulco and southern Mexico by Elizabeth Wolfe, Aya Elamroussi, Robert Shackelford & Mary Gilbert, Weather, CNN, Oct 25, 2023
• Arctic Warming Triggers Abrupt Ecosystem Shift in North America’s Deepest Lake Great Slave Lake’s huge cold water mass shielded it from impacts of the rapidly warming climate—until now. by Cheryl Katz, Eos, Oct 24, 2023
• Can We Save the Redwoods by Helping Them Move? The largest trees on the planet can’t easily ‘migrate’ — but in a warming world, some humans are helping them try to find new homes. by Moises Velasquez-Manoff, The Climate Issue, New York Times Magazine, Oct 25, 2023

Thursday, Oct 26, 2023

• Popping Bubbles Make Glaciers Melt Faster Accounting for the newfound bubble effect could improve estimates of how sea-terminating glaciers melt underwater—and better anticipate their shrinkage as oceans warm. by Erin Martin-Jones, Eos, Oct 25, 2023
• Analysis: Africa’s extreme weather has killed at least 15,000 people in 2023 In an extraordinary year for the Earth’s climate – which is now virtually certain< to be hottest on record – global warming has combined with the El Niño weather phenomenon and other factors to cause “ crazy” weather across the globe, including in Africa. by Daisy Dunne, Extreme Weather Carbon Brief, Oct 25, 2023
• What will happen to the Greenland ice sheet if we miss our global warming targets by Bryn Hubbard, Environment & Energy, The Conversation UK, Oct 18, 2023
• Hurricane Otis’ explosive intensification is a symptom of the climate crisis, scientists say by Rachel Ramirez, Weather, CNN, Oct 25, 2023
• Meet the author of “Climate Resilience: How We Keep Each Other Safe, Care for Our Communities, and Fight Back Against Climate Change” Kylie Flanagan’s intersectional new book features essay-style conversations with climate leaders, plus practical, inclusive ways to get involved. Daisy Simmons interviews Kylie Flanagan, Yale Climate Connections, Oct 25, 2023
• Earth close to ‘risk tipping points’ that will damage our ability to deal with climate crisis, warns UN Analysis also warns of further tipping points on horizon such as drying up of groundwater vital for food supplies by Damian Carrington, Environment, The Guardian, Oct 25, 2023
• How Americans View Future Harms From Climate Change in Their Community and Around the U.S. 63% expect climate impacts to worsen in their lifetime by Alec Tyson & Brian Kennedy, Science, Pew Research Center, Oct 25, 2023
• Climate crisis could cause ‘catastrophic harm’ to human health, 200-plus medical journals warn Co-ordinated editorial calls on World Health Organization to declare global health emergency by Lauren Pelley, Health, CBC News, Oct 25, 2023

Friday, Oct 27, 2023

• Most Countries are Falling Short of Their Promises to Stop Cutting Down the World’s Trees An annual report evaluating pledges to stop deforestation takes clear aim at financial institutions for supporting agricultural companies with ties to forest loss. by Georgina Gustin, Politics & Policy, Inside Climate News, Oct 23, 2023
• Why did Hurricane Otis get so strong, so fast? The storm burst to Category 5 strength before making a devastating landfall near Acapulco, Mexico. by Jeff Masters & Bob Henson, Eye On the Storm, Yale Climate Connections, Oct 25, 2023
• Saltwater threat to Louisiana drinking water to grow across US, experts warn Louisiana residents face crisis as seawater penetrates Mississippi but scientists say other coastal cities likely to be affected over time by Delaney Nolan, US News, The Guardian, Oct 10, 2023
• Fifty years ago, the insurance industry warned of climate change — now parts of North America are becoming uninsurable Whatever happened to ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ asks Armine Yalnizyan. Instead we spend billions to help people side-swiped by natural disasters. Opinion by Armine Yalnizyan, Toronto Star, Oct 25, 2023
• Solar power expected to dominate electricity generation by 2050 – even without more ambitious climate policies by Nadia Ameli, Femke Nijsse & Jean-Francois Mercure, Environment, The Conversation UK, Oct 26, 2023
• Fossil fuel firms spent millions on US lawmakers who sponsored anti-protest bills About 60% of oil and gas operations protected from protest due to money spent on lobbying, says Greenpeace USA report by Nina Lakhani, US News, The Guardian, Oct 25, 2023
• Our failure to regulate livestock emissions is choking off US agriculture, Opinion by Helena Wright &Megan Watters, Energy & Environment, The Hill, Oct 26, 2023
• A hidden feedback loop under Antarctica’s glaciers could accelerate sea level rise, scientists find by Rachel Ramirez, World, CNN, Oct 27,2023

Saturday, Oct 28, 2023

• Here are the places that could become too hot for humans due to climate change, Opinion by Daniel Vecellio, Los Angeles Times, Oct 27, 2023
• Why all fossil fuels must decline rapidly to stay below 1.5C, Guest Post by Ploy Achakulwisut, Peter Erickson, Céline Guivarch, Roberto Schaeffer, Elina Brutschin, & Steve Pye, Carbon Brief, Oct 26, 2023
• At what threshold is Greenland ice cap’s melting irreversible? Melting of the 3km-thick ice cap is one of the biggest contributors to sea level rise but can be halted by Paul Brown, News, The Guardian, Oct 27, 2023
• Fossil Fuel Companies Made Bold Promises to Capture Carbon. Here’s What Actually Happened. A DeSmog review of 12 large-scale projects reveals a litany of cost-overruns and missed targets, with a net increase in emissions. Analysis by Michael Buchsbaum & Edward Donnelly, DeSmog International, Sep 25, 2023
• How Carbon Capture and Storage Projects Are Driving New Oil and Gas Extraction Globally The oil industry’s push to portray carbon capture as a climate solution at COP28 obscures how the technology is really being used. Analysis by Michael Buchsbaum & Edward Donnelly, DeSmog International, Sep 25, 2023
• LNG Plant Operators Change Their Tune on Carbon Capture While tax subsidies allay financial concerns about carbon capture and storage (CCS), key questions remain about the controversial technology and whether it’s able to reduce carbon emissions. by Sara Sneath, DeSmog international, Oct 25, 2023
• What is COP28? Everything you need to know about the UN climate summit in Dubai After a record-shattering year, the world is looking to the United Nations conference in the UAE next month to put us on a safer path. by Staff, Euronews Green, Oct 28, 2023
• Q&A: Rich and Poor Nations Have One More Chance to Come to Terms Over a Climate Change ‘Loss and Damage’ Fund Heading into COP28 in Dubai, the U.S. and other developed countries want the fund run by the World Bank. Developing nations see the bank as an exploiting force and want the fund to have greater independence. Interview by Jenni Doering (NPR) of Bob Berwyn (Inside Climate News), Politics & Policy, Inside Climate News, Oct 28, 2023