2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #44

Posted on 4 November 2023 by John Hartz

Story of the Week

Global heating is accelerating, warns scientist (James Hansen) who sounded climate alarm in the 80s

Study delivers dire warning although rate of increase is debated by some scientists amid a record-breaking year of heat

Global heating is accelerating faster than is currently understood and will result in a key temperature threshold being breached as soon as this decade, according to research led by James Hansen, the US scientist who first alerted the world to the greenhouse effect.

The Earth’s climate is more sensitive to human-caused changes than scientists have realized until now, meaning that a “dangerous” burst of heating will be unleashed that will push the world to be 1.5C hotter than it was, on average, in pre-industrial times within the 2020s and 2C hotter by 2050, the paper published on Thursday predicts.

the former Nasa scientist who issued a foundational warning about climate change to the US Congress back in the 1980s.

Hansen said there was a huge amount of global heating “in the pipeline” because of the continued burning of fossil fuels and Earth being “very sensitive” to the impacts of this – far more sensitive than the best estimates laid out by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

“We would be damned fools and bad scientists if we didn’t expect an acceleration of global warming,” Hansen said. “We are beginning to suffer the effect of our Faustian bargain. That is why the rate of global warming is accelerating.”

The question of whether the rate of global heating is accelerating has been keenly debated among scientists this year amid months of record-breaking temperatures. 

Click here to access the entire article as originally posted on The Guardian

Global heating is accelerating, warns scientist (James Hansen) who sounded climate alarm in the 80s Study delivers dire warning although rate of increase is debated by some scientists aStudy delivers dire warning although rate of increase is debated by some scientists amid a record-breaking year of heatmid a record-breaking year of heat by Oliver Milman, Environment, The Guardian, Nov 2, 2023

Articles posted on Facebook

Sunday, Oct 29, 2023

• Climate change is driving a global youth revolution by Sara Miller Llana & Stephanie Hanes, Environment, The Christian Science Monitor, Oct 27, 2023
• Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43 2023 by John Mason & Baerbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Oct 26, 2023
• How China is designing flood-resistant cities It’s time to redesign cities for climate change. by Hally Brown, Video, Vox, Oct 27, 2023
• Could the UK’s tides help wean us off fossil fuels? by Justin Rowlatt, Science, BBC News, Oct 22, 2023
• They went hunting for fossil fuels. What they found could help save the world by Laura Paddison, CNN, Oct 29, 2023
• Can concrete dust help to fight climate change? This Irish startup is trying it out on US farmland Concrete dust could permanently sequester up to 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. by Rebecca Ann Hughes, EuroNews.Green, Oct 27, 2023

Monday, Oct 30, 2023

• The fight against climate change requires greater transparency The global effort to combat climate change demands increased transparency and oversight, given the complex interplay of various stakeholders, rapidly evolving regulations, and substantial financial flows. And these, writes Steven-Hristo Evestus, inherently heighten the risk of corruption by Steven-Hristo Evestus, Global Government Forum, Oct 19, 2023
• To avert climate disaster, what if one rogue nation dimmed the Sun? In an influential cli-fi novel, a desperate government ignores international consensus and pumps aerosols into the atmosphere to cool the world. Could it happen for real? by India Bourke, BBC Future, Oct 10, 2023
• Who Were the Worst of the Worst Climate Polluters in 2022? EPA’s annual greenhouse gas report for large emitters show some facilities, lashed their emissions while others polluted more than ever. by Phil McKenna, Fossil Fuels Inside Climate News, Oct 29, 2023
• New House Speaker Champions Fossil Fuels and Dismisses Climate Concerns Representative Mike Johnson comes from Louisiana oil country and has said he does not believe burning fossil fuels is changing the climate. by Lisa Friedman, Climate, New York Times, Oct 26, 2023
• Why many scientists are now saying climate change is an all-out ‘emergency’ Escalating rhetoric comes as damaging climate impacts, from wildfires to hurricanes, become clearer by Shannon Osaka, Climate, Washington Post, Oct 30, 2023
• Shipping Contributes Heavily to Climate Change. Are Green Ships the Solution? The container shipping lines that carry the bulk of global trade are betting on greener technologies, but there are still reasons those wagers could fail. by Ana Swanson, Business, New York Times, Oct 30, 2023
• The money fight that could ‘break’ the climate summit An agreement to create the loss and damage fund was the big achievement of last year’s climate conference in Egypt. But countries including the U.S. are at odds over how to set it up and who should run it. by Zia Weise, Sara Schonhardt & Karl Mathiesen, Energy &environment, Politico, Oct 30, 2023 
• Tackling climate mis/disinformation: ‘An urgent frontier for action’ Climate impacts are accelerating with every fraction of a degree of global warming, denial, distortion and falsehoods about well-established scientific facts are flooding the internet and media landscape, according to the participants of a panel discussion at UN Headquarters on mis- and disinformation relating to climate change. by Staff, Climate & Environment, UN News, Oct 30, 2023

Tuesday, Oct 31, 2023

• Climate crisis: carbon emissions budget is now tiny, scientists say Having good chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C is gone, sending ‘dire’ message about the adequacy of climate action by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, Oct 30, 2023
• ‘Stop the madness’ of climate change, UN chief declares UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the world to “stop the madness” of climate change as he visited the Everest region in Nepal where melting glaciers are putting entire communities at risk of extinction. by Staff, Climate & Environment, UN News, Oct 30, 2023
• Rich nations offer loans not grants for Vietnam’s coal transition The G7 has offered to mobilise $15.5 billion to get Vietnam from coal to clean energy but just 2% of this is grants by Joe Lo, Reuters/Climate Home News, Oct 30, 2023
• Environmental disasters and ‘dark’ tourism: The modern-day ghost towns created by the climate crisis by Elissa Garay, Travel, CNN, Oct 31, 2023
• Banks pumped more than $150bn in to companies running ‘carbon bomb’ projects in 2022 Exclusive: Projects that risk 1.5C heating target operated by companies receiving financing from European, Chinese and US banks by Ajit Niranjan, Environment, The Guardian, Oct 31, 2023
• At a glance – Global warming vs climate change by John Mason & Baerbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Oct 31, 2023 
• Ahead of COP28, pope spurs policymakers, faith leaders to push climate action. by Justin Catanoso, Mongabay, 0ct 30, 2023
• Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts Electric cars are crucial, but not enough to solve climate change. We can’t let them crowd out car-free transit options. by David Zipper, Future Perfect, Vox, Oct 31, 2023

Wednesday, Nov 1, 2023

• El Niño Forecast to Contribute to Food Insecurity Shifting rainfall patterns are projected to leave millions of people without consistent access to food in late 2023 and early 2024. by Staff, Images, NASA’s Earth Observatory, Oct 30, 2023
• Bushfires in Queensland Homes were destroyed by blazes in eastern Australia, fueled by unusually hot and dry conditions. by Staff, Images, NASA’s Earth Observatory, Oct 26, 2023
• Energy Dept. Pours Billions Into Power Grids but Warns It’s Not Enough America’s electric grids may need to expand by two-thirds by 2035 to handle future growth in clean energy, the agency said. The nation isn’t on track. by Brad Plumer, Climate, New York Times, Oct 30, 2023
• The world faces 6 tipping points by Imma Perfetto, People, Cosmos, Oct 25, 2023
• The ‘flickering’ of Earth systems is warning us: act now, or see our already degraded paradise lost When Rishi Sunak (UK Prime Minister) granted 27 new North Sea licences this week, he wasn’t thinking about the survival of the living world, Opinion by George Monbiot, Comment is Free, The Guardian, Oct 31, 2023
• Climate labels similar to cigarette packet warnings could cut meat consumption – new research by Jack Hughes, Mario Weick & Milica Vasiljevic, Environment, The Conversation UK, Nov 1, 2023
• In 2023 we’ve seen climate destruction in real time, yet rich countries are poised to do little at Cop28 As another big climate conference looms and global ‘loss and damage’ takes hold, we must keep pressure on the biggest emitters, Opinion by Saleemul Huq & Farhana Sultana, Comment is Free, The Guardian, Nov 1, 2023
• Note: Prof Saleemul Huq died on 28 October, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was 71. This is his final piece of writing.
• Extreme weather is outpacing even the worst-case scenarios of our forecasting models by Ravindra Jayaratne, Environment, The Conversation UK, Oct 30, 2023

Thursday, Nov 2, 2023

• Climate groups launch national tour for Green New Deal Exclusive multistate tour, launching in Michigan on Sunday, aims to pressure Biden on climate action before 2024 election by Dharna Noor, US News, The Guardian, Nov 1, 2023
• INTERVIEW: Panama Canal faces prolonged impact from El Nino, climate change by Staff, Commodities, S&P Global, Oct 31, 2023
• US students file complaints against six universities over fossil fuel investments Students say that by investing in fossil fuels their schools are violating commitments to the public interest by Dharna Noor, US News, The Guardian, Nov 1, 2023
• Global heating is accelerating, warns scientist (James Hansen) who sounded climate alarm in the 80s Study delivers dire warning although rate of increase is debated by some scientists amid a record-breaking year of heat by Oliver Milman, Environment, The Guardian, Nov 2, 2023
• What’s the deal with carbon capture and storage? The debate between advocates and foes of the technology has intensified since expanded tax credits for it were included in the 2022 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. by Cameron Oglesby, Policy & Politics, Yale Climate Connections, Oct 20, 2023
• As climate disasters mount, the world isn’t spending nearly enough to adapt This so-called “adaptation finance gap” is between $194 billion and $366 billion per year, United Nations experts said in a new report by Maxine Joselow, Climate, Washington Post, Nov 2, 2023
• As Climate Shocks Grow, Lawmakers Investigate Insurers Fleeing Risky Areas Insurers are already pulling back from California, Florida and Louisiana. Senate Democrats are trying to find out which states could be next. by Christopher Flavelle, Climate, New York Times, Nov 1, 2023
• Who Were the Worst of the Worst Climate Polluters in 2022? EPA’s annual greenhouse gas report for large emitters show some facilities slashed their emissions while others polluted more than ever. by Phil McKenna, Fossil Fuels, Inside Climate News, Oct 29, 2023

Friday, Nov 3, 2023

• Explainer: Can solar geoengineering stop global warming?  by David Stanway, Sustainability, Reuters, Nov 1, 2023
• Tiny Climate Crises Are Adding Up to One Big Disaster Billion-dollar disasters are breaking records, but the accumulation of small disasters can be devastating too. by Nancy Walecki, Planet, The Atlantic Magazine, Nov 1, 2023
• Years into a climate disaster, these people are eating the unthinkable In South Sudan, war and semi-permanent flooding have left people to scavenge for food, with long-term consequences for their health by Chico Harlan, Climate, Washington Post, Nov 2, 2023
• Why grazing bison could be good for the planet American bison were hunted almost to extinction by European settlers. Now making a comeback, they could help reverse damage to prairies from decades of poor management. by Christopher J Preston, Future Planet, BBC News, Nov 2, 2023
• New Report Issues Damning Verdict on Food’s Fossil Fuel Addiction Research shows oil companies are investing heavily in petrochemicals for use in pesticides, fertilisers, and plastic packaging. by Clare Carlile, DeSmog International, Nov 2, 2023
• Wars are closing down the window for climate action Wars harm climate action because large militaries emit a lot and military spending diverts money away from tackling climate change by Nick Buxton & Deborah Burton, Climate Home News, Nov 1, 2023
• A Smoking Gun for Biden’s Big Climate Decision? A new analysis suggests that L.N.G. exports may well be worse for the environment than burning coal. by Bill McKibben, Daily Comment, The New Yorker Magazine, Oct 31, 2023
• As Climate Talks Near, Calls Mount for a ‘Phaseout’ of Fossil Fuels With UN https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-11-02/electric-vehicle-design-challenges-the-uk-s-love-for-small-carsclimate negotiations set for next month, a growing number of nations and business leaders are calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels. But with major fossil fuel expansion projects moving ahead around the globe, advocates of strong action face a daunting challenge. Analysis by Fred Pearce, Yale Environment 360, Nov 2, 2023

Saturday, Nov 4, 2023

• The world’s boreal forests may be shrinking as climate change pushes them northward by Ronny Rotbarth, David J Cooper, Logan Berner &Roman Dial, Environment & Energy, The Conversation US, Nov 3, 2023
• The Missing Equations at ExxonMobil’s Advanced Recycling Operation The petrochemical giant promotes its new Baytown facility near Houston as a model for solving the world’s glut of used plastic. But ExxonMobil won’t say how much goes into making new plastic—or ends up burned as climate-warming fuel. by James Bruggers, Fossil Fuel, Inside Climate News, Nov 1, 2023
• A Climate Change Success Story? Look at Hoboken. This flood-prone city on the Hudson River has bundled water-absorbing infrastructure into benefits residents asked for, like parks and safer streets. by Michael Kimmelman, Critic’s Notebook, New York Times, Nov 3, 2023 Note: This story is from Headway, an initiative from The New York Times exploring the world’s challenges through the lens of progress. Headway looks for promising solutions, notable experiments and lessons from what’s been tried.
• Shore Patrol Researchers are ringing the Atlantic with hundreds of sensors in a bid to track how ocean warming is affecting coastal ecosystems by April Reese, Science Magazine, Nov 2, 2023
• Electric Vehicles Are Testing the UK’s Love of Small Cars Electrification is raising new challenges for compact models, as costly batteries push carmakers toward large, luxury EVs with high price tags. by Olivia Rudgard & Kyle Stock, Bloomberg News, Nov 2, 2023
• Analysis: Global CO2 emissions could peak as soon as 2023, IEA data reveals by Simon Evans & Verner Viisainen, Carbon Brief, Oct 26, 2023
• Similar to Mexico’s Hurricane Otis, Storm Ciarán Took Europe by Surprise Climate attribution is tricky. But a growing body of evidence suggests climate disasters are cropping up in unexpected places where such severe weather was thought to be rare. by Kristoffer Tigue, Today’s Climate, Inside Climate News, Nov 2, 2023
• How psychedelic therapy may help with climate change anxiety Eco-anxiety and climate grief are unlike other issues in psychiatry because the feelings extend to something greater than ourselves and our personal narrative. by Emily Willow, MD, Wellness, Washington Post, Nov 3, 2023