Climate Change This Week: The Climate Pope, Hot Babes, and More!

Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

Today, the Earth got a little hotter, and a little more crowded.

2015-06-22-1435003390-9489789-popefrancisencyclicalSourcetheDailyClimateccr282.jpg
In a 192-page paper Pope Francis lays out the argument for a new partnership between science and religion. Source the Daily Climate

OO Encyclical Reveals Pope's Deep Dive Into Climate Science

@@ Rick Santorum's "Pick N Choose" Faith:
Argues With Pope on Climate Change
- saying we should leave this to the scientists, with whom Santorum disagrees - although he's no scientist.

But does Santorum, a GOP presidential candidate, know that the pope IS a scientist? Pope Francis has a masters degree in chemistry.

And there's plenty of chemistry involved in climate change.

@@ Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Pope Francis and the Meaning of Climate Action

OO Before Francis, Long Line Of Popes Voiced Environment Alarm

* stressed "responsible procreation" - Pope Benedict XVI, 2009

* "the related greenhouse effect has now reached crisis proportions" - St. John Paul II, 1990

* "No one may appropriate surplus goods solely for his own private use when others lack the bare necessities of life," - Pope Paul VI, 1967. Does this include the personal profits of fossil fuel companies?

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003074-7517837-shoppingcrowdspeopleconsumptionSourceFacebookccr277_resize.jpg

Imagine how much global warming people buy each day...

OO Part of Your Daily Carbon Emissions
Will Warm Earth For 1,000 Years or More
- say recent studies; long term consequences for short term fossil fuel fixes, in the form of food, goods, or using appliances.

And it will take only 1-2 months for those emissions to cause more global warming than the heat created by the burning of the fossil fuels that produced those emissions.

Think about it, the next time you buy any goods, check your iphone, or drive a car....

*
*

OO Weak Climate Plans Mean World Set To Overshoot Temperature Goal - current national pledges for carbon cuts likely result in a temperature rise of roughly 5 degrees F by 2100, the International Energy Agency said.

@@ Arctic Melting Is Slowing the Oceanic Conveyor Belt - important, because it is a major distributor of heat through the oceans, another factor that could affect climate.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003114-867702-100percentrenewable570USby2050planccr282.png

OO How The US Can Operate On 100 Percent Renewable Energy - a plan to get all 50 states operating on 100% renewable energy by 2050.

2015-06-22-1435003143-6179283-timelinesolutionplantoclimatechangequoteMarkJacobsonetalccr282.png

OO "100% clean and renewable wind, water, and
sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for
the 50 United States"
Mark Jacobson, et al.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003176-9636928-redknotlongestflierintheworldSourceTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg
The Red Knot sandpiper makes one of the greatest animal migrations known, but climate change threatens to undermine this migration.

OO Climate Change Threatens Nearly Longest Flier In The World

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003207-8615851-penguinsnrresearchstationinAntarcticaSourceTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg

OO Penguins' Decline Over 30 Years Tied to Changing Climate - says an Antarctic researcher who has chronicled their changes over that time.

2015-06-22-1435003239-2041743-penguinschinstrapwikipediaccr230.jpg
Penguins are very sensitive to change, and most, like these chinstrap penguins, are in decline.
Wikipedia

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003284-1913320-trucksSourceTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg

OO Obama Readies Big Push On Climate Change - with a series of actions to cut emissions from wide swaths of the economy, including trucks, airplanes and power plant.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003344-6069411-babyconcernedbyAjsmen91atWikimediacctw90.jpg
Climate Change: Smaller, Hotter Babies?

OO Climate Change Likely Tied To Lower Human Birth Weight indicates a new study, showing that exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy increases the likelihood of giving birth to smaller babies.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003426-3850905-whirlpoolwindmillSourceReutersccr282.jpg
The Spanish whirlpool windmill spins air whirlpools inside its long, inverted, slightly conical interior, creating oscillations that are converted into electrical power via a generator. Commercial prototypes are being developed. Source Reuters

OO Whirlpool Windmill Produces Power Without Blades via harnessing the energy of whirlpools of air that develop around a tall wand.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003453-8159590-cowlookingatyouSourceopensourcevegan.comccr282.jpg
Going Out of Style? Source opensourcevegan.com

OO We'll All Eat Less Meat Soon--Like It Or Not since the current production is unsustainable, and has come at great cost: massive soil erosion, carbon emissions, pollution, and coastal dead zones created by fertilizer runoff from cattle feed croplands.

*
*

@@ "Climate Change Poses A Massive Threat To The World." Henry Paulson, ex Treasury Secretary, one of 25 messages at Climate 25

@@ The Weather Channel's New Campaign:
25 Stark Messages Aimed At Conservatives
- to help shift the climate change conversation from science to solutions.

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003481-8252219-KazakstanglacierwpoolsNikolay_KuznetsovWWF_Russiaccr282.jpg
Rimming the Tibetan Plateau, this "third pole" comprises snow covered mountains with a massive amount of ice that feeds 10 major Asian rivers used by 1+ billion people - and it's starting to melt from warming temperatures.

OO Climate Change Threatens Earth's Third Pole--And Millions of People Use Its Water

*
*

2015-06-22-1435003512-6654513-satelliteflagsaquiferdistressWaterResourcesResearchccr282.jpg
Climate change and population growth are expected to intensify this problem.

OO New NASA Data Show How The World Is Running Out Of Water


Related:

OO A Third Of The World's Biggest Groundwater Basins Are In Distress

As the lead study author asks:

2015-06-22-1435003540-7708210-whathappenswhennotenoughpeoplegetwaterccr282.png

Syria. Drowned refugees. Boka Haram. ...

Related Headline:

OO Water Subsidies Cost The World $456 Billion In 2012,
Harm The World's Poor

*
*

2014-07-06-populationmatters2green.png

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

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Urge your leaders at all levels to take action to prevent unintended pregnancies.

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

*
*
*

SOLAR KEEPS SMILING

2015-02-02-solarkeepssmilingpanelfield300x197ViaSolar.calfinder.com.jpg

OO Record Boost In New Solar Power
Continues Massive Industry Growth Worldwide

OO US Solar Stars:
These 10 States Installed the Most Residential Solar in early 2015 (in decreasing order):
California.....New York.....Arizona.....Massachusetts.....New Jersey.....Hawaii.....Maryland.....Connecticut.....Colorado.....Louisiana

OO Fueled by Growth in Residential Solar, US Installs 1+ GW of solar capacity in early 2015. Not even record-breaking snow could slow residential solar's continued growth.

OO The Real Solyndra Scandal - Shhhh...
The Govt Program Behind It Is An Enormous Success!!

2015-06-22-1435003587-6214909-netzerohomeSourceGreenTechMediaccr282.jpg
Source GreenTechMedia

OO California Wants All New Homes to Be Net Zero in 2020 - solar-plus-storage could be the new norm.

2015-06-22-1435003649-5042354-solarboatcreatedbyVietnamesefarmersSourceTuoiTreNewsccr282.jpg
Think Small, Sun, and Water Source Tuoi Tre News

OO Vietnamese Farmers Make Solar-Powered Boat

OO Indian Off-Grid Solar Company Raises $40 Million

OO Just How Valuable is Solar?
Thieves Looting Germany's Solar Farms
- up to more than $805,000 worth of losses.

2014-01-31-geostellargetcleanenergy.png

Check it out here, right now!

*
*
*

GOOD CLEAN NEWS

@@ Why Low Oil Prices Won't Destroy Cleantech

OO The US Better Buildings Challenge Has Saved $1 Billion in Energy Costs - markets, not policy, are starting to drive more energy projects.

OO Integrating Wind and Solar into the Grid Is Cheaper Than Expected - says a new report about the feds' Clean Power Plan.

OO Cheap Michigan Wind Energy Set To Save Consumers $15 Million Annually

2015-06-22-1435003705-8358846-LEDbrightstikSourceenergywatchnews.comccr282.bmp
Source energywatchnews.com

OO New LED Light Bulbs: Now Cheaper Than Compact Fluorescents - lasting more than a decade for less than $5.

OO Britain Okays Ambitious Green Tidal Energy Scheme

*
*
*

WHAT WORKS

Speaking Out:

2015-06-22-1435003739-7030646-g7leadersUKMerkleObamaTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg
G7 leaders called at a summit Monday for a "decarbonisation of the global economy" and said deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed over the course of this century.

OO G7 Says 'Deep Cuts' In Greenhouse Gases Needed This Century

OO G7 Leaders Bid 'Auf Wiedersehen' To Carbon Fuels

2015-06-22-1435003769-3911456-tarsandsAlberta4fromAtlanticSep2014photoessayReutersToddKorolccr263.png
Tar Sands: Turning Earth Into Mars and adding to climate change. Credit Todd Korol

OO URGENT: Canadian, U.S. Scientists Call for Halt to Oil Sands Projects
"We have a duty to speak up." - and 100 scientists did:

"No new oilsands or related projects should proceed
unless consistent with an implemented plan
to rapidly reduce carbon pollution,
safeguard biodiversity,
protect human health
and respect treaty rights.''

2015-06-22-1435003801-1249080-grannyprotestShellArcticdrillinginSeattleSourceTheDCccr282.jpg
Grannies To Be Proud Of.

OO 5 'Raging Grannies' Arrested In Anti-Shell Protest: No Arctic Drilling - part of 2 simultaneous Seattle protests.

OO China's Electricity Emissions May Have Already Peaked:
Coal Imports Plunge Nearly 40%
- says a new study. None too soon.

Good Ideas:

2015-06-22-1435003832-3029730-SugarSourcewww.offthegridnews.comccr282.jpg
Flying High on Sugar: a new biomass fuel for aviation. Source www.offthegridnews.com

OO A Sweet Source For Aviation Biofuel: Sugarcane - that could deliver substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

OO Turning 'Second-Life' Ev Batteries Into Grid Storage Business - used EV car batteries still pack enough punch to be used for grid energy storage.

Doing the Right Thing:

2015-06-22-1435003859-3753933-whalebreachingTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg

OO Obama Bans Offshore Oil Drilling Off California Parts
As He Doubles Size Of Marine Sanctuaries

OO GOP Donor Pledges $10 Million to Push Republicans on Climate Change

2015-06-22-1435003888-1003103-airplanewingTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg

OO US EPA Takes First Step To Regulate Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Emissions

OO Mass. Lawmakers Propose $5 Billion Pension Fund Divestment of Fossil Fuels

*
*
*

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

2015-06-22-1435003923-284055-oilspillhumorthisguyhasarakeSourceUKGuardianccr282.jpg
Oil Spills: New Opportunities To Bond With the Beach...

OO BLACK Humor: Postcards You'd Never Want to Get


Fossil Fuel Follies

OO Junk Jobs: After Plunge in Oil Prices, US Oil Workers Laid Off - why fossil fuel jobs are junk jobs.

OO Throwing Taxpayer Money at Fossil Fuels Stymies Pollution Curbs - fossil fuel subsidies, 16 times that of the price for carbon, overpower efforts to curb pollution, the International Energy Agency said.

OO Profit Before Safety: Growing US Oil Train Traffic Is Shrouded In Secrecy - railroad companies mostly have refused to divulge information, citing competitive disadvantage, despite the deaths, derailments, and explosions in communities. How caring.

2015-06-22-1435003959-2712311-ShellOilpostedbyWaveFarmeratsurfinoregon.blogspot.com_resizea.jpg
New Meanings for the Words "Shell Oil"

OO Gulf Oil Spill: Still Poisoning Dolphins To Crickets

OO US Federal Report Confirms Water Pollution By Fracking - from Alberta, Canada, to Pennsylvania,despite being limited by data gaps.

2015-06-22-1435004045-3686099-COALGREEN445xMaryEllenHarte.png

OO Norway's Plan To Divest Massive $900B Fund From Coal
Could Hit US Companies
- Ya think? Let's keep moving away from the nasty black stuff.

OO European Union Utilities Trapped in 'Coal Death Spiral' after backing obsolete coal-reliant business models. Time for change.

OO Five G7 Nations Increased Coal Use, 2009-2013 - and plan further increases; the only good news is that the US and Canada weren't among them.

Dirty Deals By Dirty Dealers:

OO Conservative Donors Secretly Gave U.S. Climate Denial Groups $125 Million over three years to right-wing groups, underlining the importance of the climate issue to U.S. conservatives.

2015-06-22-1435004075-9829110-waterfaucetspoutspigotnruprootedalmondtreesSourceEconomictimes.indiatimes.comccr282.jpg
Source Economictimes.indiatimes.com

Destructive Denial:

OO Only 10% of US Water Utilities See Climate Change As Significant - even as drought conservation measures eat away at revenue across the U.S.

*
*
*

WHY WE SHOULD ACT NOW: RISING RISKS

2015-06-22-1435004136-2910966-anomaltempjun222015.png

Daily Climate Change: Global Map of Unusual Temperatures, June 22, 2015

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 to prevent much rain from reaching California, sending it into further drought.

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.

Natural Repercussions:

2015-06-22-1435004169-430709-BorealpondsHudsonBaySourceTheDailyClimateccr282.jpg
Beyond Human Control: Melting Arctic tundra forms ponds of meltwater, releasing carbon dioxide and methane that adds further global warming. If enough warming lights this fuse, it becomes a self-generating climate change feedback loop, beyond human control.

Research indicates this is close to happening:

@@ Losing Frozen Earth Could Cook The Planet - at Living On Earth, a compelling weekly radio show.

OO Risk Of Flooding Rises With Global Warming - as peak rainfall during storms intensify from climate changes and temperatures rise, leading to increased flash flood risks, especially in urban areas, says a new study.

2015-06-22-1435004199-8176545-deadtreesunsetCreditCaterinaBernardiccr282.jpg
Credit Caterina Bernardi

OO From Green To Brown:
The Weird Effect Climate Change Will Have On Plants
- despite longer warmer seasons, extreme heat, lack of water and drying soil from climate change is expected to stunt plant growth, and turn forests from carbon absorbers to emitters - worsening climate change.

2015-06-22-1435004228-6122392-AzorellamacquariensisdiebackMacquarieIslandSourcewww.abc.net.auccr282.jpg
Dramatic Dieback: Centuries-old endemic cushion plants are dying so rapidly on Macquarie Island, Australia, that dramatic conservation measures are being undertaken to protect remaining plants until seed can be collected.

OO For Whom the Bell Tolls:
Australian Plant Decimation Foreshadows US Alpine Decimation
- dramatic climate-driven ecosystem changes on Macquarie Island may foreshadow the deimation of similar key species in Colorado's alpine zone.

The Great Drought West:

OO California: A Bad Fire Season Combo - Drought & Record-Breaking Heat

OO California: Even Old Time Water Rights Holders Being Denied Water - for farming from drought-starved rivers and streams in the Central Valley; there's simply not enough.

OO Signs Of Drought Appear To Be In Western Canada For The Long Term - all along western Nroth America, in fact.

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 these blue flax flowers 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.

2015-06-22-1435004260-3891499-blueflaxlinumflowersDSCN8740a.jpg

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot