This is the 584th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the December 8 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Kestrel writes—Dawn Chorus: It's Time to Talk Turkey: “Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, you might think I could come up with a topic besides turkeys for today’s Dawn Chorus. But I’m not quite ready to let turkeys go yet because I found this great bunch of turkey facts that I didn’t know before. A nature writer named Melissa Mayntz provides the following info about turkeys in one of her short essays featured in The Spruce.com. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I’m going to borrow (with great thanks and attribution) these turkey tidbits Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) can be wild fun when you consider how unique and incredible these birds really are. While most birders and non-birders alike can easily recognize the distinctive plumage, large tails, bare heads, and gobbling call of these game birds, how much do you really know about them? These wild turkey facts might surprise you!”
AndySchmookler writes—An Opportune Moment to Hit Trump on Climate Change: “A full-out, multi-prong challenge to the President for his unsubstantiated ‘I don't believe it’ should be mounted. From every available direction should come the question, ‘On what basis, Mr. President, do you justify your not believing this well-supported document from the scientists?’ • Reporters -- the people who shout questions to him about pardons for Manafort and such—should be encouraged to shout out ‘On what basis’ questions, and be prepared to follow up if they get the expected insubstantial answers. • Democrats in Congress should use their platforms to not let the President get away with such an indefensible dismissal. (The fact that the latest polls show that 70% of the American people are “concerned’—‘very’ or ‘somewhat’—about climate change suggests that this would be a political winner.) • Environmental organizations should a) encourage reporters and congressional Democrats to challenge the President in the ways described above and b) organize events to dramatize the contrast between the vast body of science and the ignorant dismissal, challenging the president with that challenging question, ‘On what basis...?’ "
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Protestors Crash Trump’s Coal Sideshow After US Joins Axis Of Oil States: “In the heart of coaland, the second week of COP24 is going ... about as expected. Over the weekend, host country Poland refused to allow at least a dozen climate campaigners entry into the country, while a handful of countries stood in the way of a sentence that expressed the UN’s ‘welcome’ for the IPCC 1.5 special report. The United States joined with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to downplay how the UN would acknowledge the report the UN itself requested, instead insisting that they only “note” the report, and not endorse its findings. Though it’s sad to see the US now partnering on international negotiations with two petro-states that murder journalists, it’s not exactly surprising. On Monday, the US held it’s pro-pollution event, praising coal and fossil fuels at a conference about finding ways to reduce fossil fuel use. Fortunately, the panel was likely pretty ineffective at convincing anyone of anything, particularly as protestors quickly made a scene. As it turns out, a climate conference isn’t the best place to promote climate-changing fossil fuels.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - kinglets in a winter thicket: “December 7, 2018. Pacific Northwest. Half a dozen tiny birds rustling on the verge got my attention yesterday. Their exceedingly high pitched calls said kinglets. Then it became a challenge getting a good look at them. These are Golden-crowned Kinglets, year round residents (unlike the Ruby-crowned Kinglets which are here only in winter) who feed on insects, larvae, spiders etc. Over the summer this roadside had masses of thistles edging a snowberry thicket, and evidently there are bugs active here even near sunset on a chilly winter’s day. One study (birdsna.org/...) reported caterpillars important in their winter diet. They also eat a small quantity of seeds and other vegetal material. The kinglets hopped around hanging onto stems at all angles, picking at whatever’s in there.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - killdeer flyby: “December 5, 2018. Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. Killdeer have returned to the beach now it’s winter. In summer I don’t see these flighty colorful shorebirds since they’re off nesting in fields. Now they’re back, with this year’s babies, who look exactly like them. In fact all killdeer have the same plumage and eyes, so this group of five flying by in unison tells me the youngsters have gained competency in the past few months, even if they still hang out with their parents. [...] Sadly in October for a few days I saw one killdeer with a broken leg, it was not able to walk although it could fly, which made it impossible to catch it to take to a wildlife rehab place. I didn’t take pictures of it, I don’t like to display suffering. It did its best to keep up with the flock. Perhaps the leg healed on its own, I can’t know. Most of a wild creature’s life is in private, and I see just tiny moments on those occasions when I walk the beach. Now in winter, everyone in this family is running along the beach foraging, and flying from one end to another, equally well. Their sharp long wings suit them for quick agile flight. They are very flighty, it doesn’t take much for them to perceive danger, with their large orange eyes. Then they’re off, calling vociferously.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - brief lull in the storms: “December 10, 2018. Salish Sea, Pacific Northwest. This is the stormiest time of year up here in the islands. Frontal systems roll in off the ocean one after the next from the southwest. Fairly warm, temps in the 40s-50s. Storms like these have a long fetch — miles of water with nothing blocking the wind as it barrels down on us, swirling around the center of the Salish Sea. We’ve had a couple of weeks of very windy weather now with no sign of it letting up soon. This isn’t unprecedented. But every winter it’s a bit nerve wracking watching the trees swaying, getting uprooted or broken off, gusts knocking against the house all night. A visiting relative once noted we seem to have more metal roofs than do houses down on the mainland; I think that’s because metal doesn’t get blown off like shingles will in strong gusty winds. We like to get out onto the water every few weeks, but we don’t like to fight against big swells and chop — I get banged up. Our rule of thumb is wind in single digits, knots. And it’s more fun if it’s not pouring rain. Earlier this week, one day around noon the wind started dropping and there was some light showing through the overcast. A lull in the storms.”
pmiller132 writes—Could New Proposals Cause Strife for Endangered Species? “Despite being on the brink of extinction, species who are protected under the Endangered Species Act now face a different threat. Recent proposals from the Trump Administration regarding the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) aim to limit the extent of the protection given to endangered and threatened species. These proposals call for changes which would limit the protections granted to threatened species and allow for economics to be considered in a species’ listing. The proposals were made in hopes of alleviating some of the conflicts that corporations in the energy industry face when their projects conflict with the interests of listed species. The federal agencies and leaders in charge of these projects must ensure they are not causing adverse effects to the species in question, or their habitat, to have their actions be approved. The ramifications of approving these proposals introduce an increased difficulty in providing listed species with the protections they need to survive.”
vape standish writes—Massive Animal Species Extinctions From Human Activity Heading to Catastrophic Ecosystem Collapse… “Ecosystems are incredibly productive and efficient—when there is sufficient biodiversity. Each form of life works together with the surrounding environment to help recycle waste, maintain the ecosystem, and provide services that others—including humans—use and benefit from. But Scientists on multiple fronts are now unanimously warning that due to massive species loss at current rates, in 30 years ecosystems could reach the point of no return, wherein they would not be able to regenerate themselves. Despite knowing about biodiversity’s importance for a long time, human activity has still been causing massive extinctions.”
trvenables writes—Leave The Endangered Species Act Alone: “The Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) proposed changes to section 424.11 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are a bad idea . Right now, this section states that species will be added and removed from the ESA, ‘solely upon biological criteria and to prevent non-biological considerations from affecting such decisions.’ FWS proposes to remove the phrase that follows, ‘without reference to possible economic or other impacts of such determination.’ By adjusting the wording in this way, FWS hopes to add economic considerations to species listing decisions. [...] The biggest reason that the Trump Administration wants to change the wording of the ESA is because they perceive the act as an impediment to oil and gas devleopment, and thus to the oil and gas industry’s potential income. Republican Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, speaking at an ESA hearing last year, demonstrated this view: ‘States, counties, wildlife managers, home builders, construction companies, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders are all making it clear that the Endangered Species Act is not working today’.”
Marissa Higgins writes—U.S. threatens to bulldoze National Butterfly Center to build Trump's border wall: “The National Butterfly Center, located in Mission, Texas, is a private nonprofit focused on providing a safe habitat for wildlife, including wild butterflies and birds. It has about 100 acres of land. The land is becoming a big, big topic of conversation right now, because President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall would put about 70 percent of it on Mexico’s side of the wall. Even more alarming? The Supreme Court has refused to hear the center’s case challenging his plan. This upheld a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel from back in February, which also ruled in favor of the government. ‘Just like farmers get crop yield in acres and inches, we get butterflies based on what we have planted in acres and inches,’ executive director Marianna Trevino-Wright told the San Antonio Express-News. ‘So having a wide swath of our property bulldozed is going to negatively impact the volume of the species and diversity of the species.’ A number of laws were waived to move this plan forward, including the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: 2018 was a record-breaking nesting season for California condors: “More success stories from the reintroduced California condors. In southern California, biologists recorded 12 nests this year — the highest number of nests across the broadest range ever documented in the area. ‘This record-breaking nesting season signals continued progress in the recovery of the California condor,’ said Joseph Brandt, supervisory wildlife biologist with the Service’s Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex. ‘We are seeing more condors and more nests in more places in Southern California than ever before.’ In October, condor chick 933 was the first wild California condor chick to successfully fledge in Santa Barbara County since 1982. AC-4, the chick’s 38 year old papa was taken into captivity when the last surviving 22 condors were moved into a breeding program in the 1980s and re-released in 2015.”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--May Gaia help Rock Creek! “Rock Creek tumbles down the side of extinct volcanoes, through farmers’ fields, under highways, and along my suburbs west of Portland Oregon. It bisects a golf course, drains lakes, dodges through a maze of linear parks hidden behind industrial complexes, absorbs stormwater runoff from highways, factories and fields, and finally flows past the sewage plant, and into the turbid Tualatin River. I often day dreamed about how cool it would be to have salmon in a stream near where I lived, like Rock Creek. I always felt blessed just to live somewhere you can get fresh salmon. I knew other streams nearby harbored salmon and their relatives, the steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Salmon had braved the Tualatin River for decades and had ventured into Rock Creek, the old timers told me angrily. I just obtained a document related to a nearby bridge replacement over Rock Creek, two miles downstream from me. It said that Rock Creek is excessively polluted (“listed”) and violated standards for biological criteria, ammonia, arsenic, chlorophyll, lack of dissolved oxygen, E coli, iron, lead, phosphorus, and high water temperature. A private party owns a water right to 20% of Rock Creek’s flow.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Mrmuni12 writes—The Bottom Line on Trumpian Climate Change Denial: It's Mass Murder: “There has been a lot written here and in the press about the recent news, studies and evidence on climate change and Trump. As my title suggests, I’m still not satisfied. My viewpoint is that: Without aggressive responses to climate change, tens of millions will die, and for most of the rest, lifestyles will erode severely. Eroded lifestyles mean more illness, more death: All the Ways Climate Change Is Hurting Your Daily Life Threats to human life and health, damage to property and infrastructure, threats to our food supply and water quality, security threats. Here are all of the ways a warming planet is likely to affect your daily life, if it isn't already. • We are approaching a sixth extinction event, triggered in large part by human activities, including generation of greenhouse gasses. Extinction events kill humans, too. • Solving climate change is beyond current technologies, but slowing it down can be accomplished—but only in the presence of strong American leadership.”
Lefty Coaster writes—US joins Russia Saudi Arabia Kuwait in an Axis of Ignorance - block Climate Report endorsement: “ Mr. Trump has joined with his good buddies president Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and the Kuwaitis in doing their best to cast doubt on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on what happens if the average global temperatures rise by 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), and how to prevent average global temperatures from going even higher. Let's call this clique of the most corrupt governments on earth the Axis of Ignorance: Negotiators took time out Sunday to rest after the first week of talks ended on a sour note the previous night, when the United States sided with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in blocking endorsement of a landmark study on global warming. ‘I think it was a key moment,’ said Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists. ‘The fact that a group of four countries were trying to diminish the value and importance of a scientific report they themselves, with all other countries, requested three years ago in Paris is pretty remarkable’.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Climate Change driven drought is driving Central American farmers off their land & into Caravans: “Why are people from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala so desperate that they are willing to abandon their homes and walk for thousands of miles to reach the US border, for a uncertain chance of crossing and becoming refugees? A years long drought is driving these rural campesinos off of their land. And Climate Change is to blame for the drought. Honduran farmers flee effects of climate change. Worsening coffee production and financial despair drive migration to the US. Coffee is the Central American country’s biggest agricultural export, and Mr. Isaula said he has seen a 40 per cent drop in his yield over the past couple of years. ‘Every year it goes down. The plantations are drying out. The rainfall is erratic.” Compared with some Honduran farmers in other parts of the ‘dry corridor’ in the south and west of the country, Mr Isaula is lucky — he has not lost everything. But with production steadily worsening, compounded by financial despair, he and other farmers in Tepanguare, in the western La Paz department, are preparing to play the only card they have left: migration to the U.S.”
dcrowe writes—The Fire Is Here: Climate Change Reports Show We’re On the Edge of Catastrophe: “If we continue on this road, we are headed to warming in about 80 years at the latestthat climate experts have warned is ‘incompatible with an organized global community, is likely to be beyond “adaptation,” is devastating to the majority of ecosystems, and has a high probability of not being stable.’ That's a very nice way of saying that civilization will rip itself to pieces as temperatures rise 4°C and above in excess of pre-industrial temperatures. This catastrophe is not even the worst case scenario, even though it is described that way by the IPCC. In fact, as of last year, this is the default. It's the path we were already on.”
gmoke writes—My Approach to Climate Change: “1.My approach to climate change is
100% renewables ASAP. Zero emissions economy ASAP. Carbon drawdown ASAP
Geotherapy (not geoengineering) ASAP. Resources: http://drawdown.org
https://www.crcpress.com/Geotherapy-Innovative-Methods-of-Soil-Fertility-Restoration-Carbon-Sequestration/Goreau-Larson-Campe/p/book/9781466595392
http://bio4climate.org
http://soil4climate.org
http://solarray.blogspot.com At least as a thought experiment. 2. I start from Solar IS Civil Defense, which is necessary NOW in case of weather or other natural disaster, whatever you believe about Climate Change or Sanity Clause. 10 bucks buys a solar light and charger today, just go Internet shopping. That's a personal electric solar civil defense, the basics of light, communications, and extra batteries. 10 bucks is also the price of a hand-crank light and charger. Add a bicycle charger (or electric bike) and you have "free" electricity for as long as the batteries hold a charge and the chargers work. More at http://solarray.blogspot.com/2018/09/personal-power-set.html.”
Mark E Andersen writes—Climate change is real, man-made, and no amount of disbelief will change that: “As I write this, I am dumbfounded by how someone I respected in my youth, a West Point educated career U.S. Army officer and current civil engineer, could fall for a conspiracy theory. Here is someone who is well educated, and one of the smartest people I have ever met, and he believes an article with the headline, ‘Solar Cycle To Cause A “Mini Ice Age” As Early As 2020.’ The website in question, Principia-Scientific International (which I will not link and give them traffic) is nothing more than a conspiracy site—it took me all of about a minute to research the website and confirm my suspicions that it was passing out false information. We live on a warming planet, warming caused by human activity. The has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. This is not something you believe in, it is not something that is up for debate. The science is solid, and the facts are not up for debate. The question that should have been answered 20 or more years ago is, ‘What are we going to do about it?’ Instead, we have let deniers control the conversation, the fact that deniers are actually given a seat at the table is astonishing.”
Reasonabill writes—Collusion and the Climate of Change: “I married 41 years ago, and my ex-wife and I took a trip to visit her parents in North Carolina. I remember commenting on how nice it was to leave the snow in Washington, D.C. to enjoy some warmer weather. Yesterday in the state of my former in-laws, 12 inches of snow fell. Incredibly, drastic changes like this do not affect the thinking of conservatives for a simple reason, liberals labeled these climate shifts as ‘Global Warming.’ Because Republicans are so wedded to messaging, they say things like, there cannot be Global warming because it is snowing in North Carolina, or Senator Jim Inhofe ( R-Okla.) brings a snowball to the Senate floor to prove science is participating in a ‘hoax.’ They do not look at the constant shifts and drastic calamitous weather occurrences as a problem, they say science is wrong, God just changed his mind.”
committed writes—2018: The Year in Climate Change: From NY Times. a very scary review.
Pakalolo writes—Greenland melt in overdrive. High mountain glaciers disproportionately contribute to sea level rise: “I keep vigil. The U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday (12/11/2018) announced the results of the 2018 Arctic Report Card (includes video). NOAA found that the Arctic experienced that over the past year, the 2nd warmest air temperatures ever were recorded, the 2nd lowest overall sea-ice coverage recorded, the lowest recorded winter ice coverage in the Bering Sea, and early plankton blooms caused by the rapid melt of Barents sea-ice. Besides the above findings, NOAA’s report card is worth a look as it includes updates on rapid melting of Greenlands ice sheets as well as its tundra vegetation transitioning to arctic shrub, found a rapid decline in caribou ( because a warmer Arctic has less food and more insects), the arrival of toxic plankton blooms and micro-plastic pollution that has been transported from the worlds other oceans to the Arctic by ocean currents. Man oh man are we ever fucking things up for ourselves, because unfortunately for us, what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic.”
COP24 Climate Talks, Katowice
Dan Bacher writes—Indigenous and frontline leaders disrupt Trump’s fossil fuel panel at COP 24: “For the second year in a row, indigenous and frontline youth and community leaders from the U.S. today disrupted a pro-fossil fuels event hosted by the Trump Administration at the annual U.N. climate talks, COP 24. Just like they did last year at the climate talks in Bonn, Germany, the Trump administration held an event today promoting fossil fuels and nuclear energy as a ‘solution’ to the climate crisis. Wells Griffith, President Donald Trump’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the Department of Energy (DOE), hosted the panel discussion, entitled ‘U.S. Innovative Technologies Spur Economic Dynamism.’ [...] Ten minutes into the panel discussion, over 100 people in the audience started chanting ‘Keep It In the Ground,’ then stood up and blocked the panel from view, according to a statement from the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance. Many there broke into laughter right after the Trump administration moderator said ‘fossil fuels will continue to play a role’ in the world.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Trump's fossil fuel-promoting energy adviser is ruthlessly laughed at during climate change talks: “Katowice, Poland, is hosting the world’s largest climate conference. Dignitaries, scientists, politicians, and ambassadors from all over the world have come to discuss what is happening and (hopefully) what can be done to secure humanity’s place on our warming planet. The United States has sent Wells Griffith, Donald Trump’s energy and climate adviser. Because Griffith represents one of the most powerful countries on the planet, he was allowed to speak on Monday. He spent his speech explaining how we need to continue to push for coal because it make people money and couldn’t be completely suspended from use right away. Griffith: We strongly believe that no country should have to sacrifice economic prosperity or energy security in pursuit of environmental sustainability. About 200 people began to laugh at Griffith at this point, with many standing to throw their hands up in disgust. Many in the crowd were protesters and began a chant against a man who seems to have a personal interest in, at the very least, hair oil.”
POPULATION, SUSTAINABILITY & EXTINCTION
Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: Natural Environment- The Current World Population, And Growth: “The issue affecting our natural environment, beyond AGW, (which impacts the world the most), is population growth. Between Global Warming and population, the planet is in crisis:”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—State Water Board Approves Increased Flows for the Lower San Joaquin River: “After a marathon hearing at the Cal EPA building in Sacramento, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) voted 4 to 1 Tuesday to set a 40% flow standard for three tributaries — the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers - that flow into the lower San Joaquin River. The board also voted to create a space for a proposal regarding voluntary agreements outlined in the meeting by Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth and Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. The $1.7 billion plan, proposing $800 million from the water users and $900 from the State, was not available to the public at the time of the meeting, but outlined in the presentation by Nemeth and Bonham. ‘A vast majority of water users and government agencies are committed to voluntary agreements because they provide a quicker, more durable solution that will improve flows and restore habitat while avoiding lengthy litigation,’ said Nemeth and Bonham in a joint statement. ‘We appreciate that the State Water Resources Control Board’s action creates space for work to continue on agreements that can deliver real benefits for the environment while protecting all beneficial uses of water’.”
Dan Bacher writes—Brown and Trump Administrations Collaborate to 'Manage Water Supply under New Challenges': “Today was another busy day in California Water as Jerry Brown gets ready to leave the Governor’s Office in January and made another deal with the Trump administration to benefit corporate agribusiness interests on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. First, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that they and the Bureau of Reclamation reached agreement on updating how the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Water Project (CVP) are operated to meet environmental regulations. ‘The state and federal projects are intertwined, and we have a joint interest and responsibility to ensure our water system meets California’s needs especially as conditions change,’ said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. ‘DWR and the Bureau also signed an agreement to formalize the cost sharing formula for projects needed to meet joint responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The new agreement calls for costs to be shared equitably between the state and federal projects for work to meet joint responsibilities under the ESA, including monitoring and habitat restoration,’ according to DWR. The cost sharing agreement can be found here.”
Dan Bacher writes—Brown and Trump administrations announce water agreement that will destroy fish and the Bay-Delta: “As Jerry Brown gets ready to leave the Governor’s Office in January, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced Thursday that they and the Bureau of Reclamation reached an agreement on updating how the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Water Project (CVP) are operated “to meet environmental regulations,” as reported first here on the Daily Kos Thursday (www.dailykos.com/...) Fishermen, conservationists, Tribal leaders, environmental justice advocates, Delta residents and family farmers see the deal as one that benefits corporate agribusiness interests in the San Joaquin Valley at the expense of fishing communities, Tribes, Delta farmers and the public trust. ‘The state and federal projects are intertwined, and we have a joint interest and responsibility to ensure our water system meets California’s needs especially as conditions change,’ said DWR Director Karla Nemeth in a statement.”
WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS
Ojibwa writes—Public Lands: Flowers in the Garden (Photo Diary): “Creation of the Connie Hansen Garden in Lincoln City, Oregon, began in 1973 when botanist Constance P. Hansen bought a small lot—a little more than an acre—to grow her favorite plant, the Iris. For the next 20 years she labored to create this special amazing place. Following her death in 1993, the Connie Hansen Garden Conservancy was formed by volunteers to purchase the garden and maintain her creation.”
ENERGY
gmoke writes—Zero Net Energy - December 10, 2018: “PROJECT HOPE—Biophilic Carbon Negative Residential Design; Technova College opens a nearly net zero energy building; Glass house working towards net zero in the Spanish desert; Canadian Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Initiative [...] Proposed ‘Tulip’ zero combustion, solar-powered high-rise for London; Harvard’s House Zero - net zero energy living laboratory; Near net zero ecocity planned for the Maldives; ‘French multinational electric utility ENGIE announced on Thursday that it had signed a 50-year strategic alliance with the city of Greater Springfield in Queensland, Australia, to help transition it to being a zero net energy city by 2038’; Medford, Massachusetts partnered with Solect Energy to install a 235 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar system on the roof of its new Department of Public Works (DPW) building. The new system is comprised of 588 LG solar modules and is expected to cover 100% of the electricity usage over an average year, producing about 300,000 kilowatt-hours per year’.”
Fossil Fuels
Merlin1963 writes—Fewer Coal Jobs In Kentucky Now After Trump Won White House: “I am not sure how I missed this bit of information — local and state media suck in KY, but it was reported that Kentucky has FEWER jobs in the coal industry after Trump won the White House. Two years since Donald Trump carried every Kentucky coal county by whopping margins after promising miners would go back to work if he became president, the state has fewer coal jobs. Coal employment averaged 6,550 in Kentucky in the first quarter of 2017 when Trump was sworn in, according to the state Energy and Environment Cabinet. The estimated average in the July-through-September quarter this year was 6,381, according to a cabinet report released this week.”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
Meteor Blades writes—Oil companies ran a climate-wrecking 'stealth campaign' to roll back Obama era car emissions rule: “As Hiroko Tabuchi explains in great detail in The New York Times Thursday, Marathon, working with petrochemical giant Koch Industries and an advocacy group called AFPM that includes Exxon, Chevron, and Phillips 66 on its board, ran a “stealth campaign” to maximize the rollback [of the rule on car emissions]. Bottom line: more efficient cars means less gasoline sales, and that means less profit for Marathon and other oil companies. Tabuchi notes that last week on an investor call, Gary R. Heminger, Marathon’s chairman and chief executive, said the rollback would mean industry sales of as much as an additional 400,000 gallons of gasoline every day. Two duplicitous arguments were put forth to back up the rollback campaign: Americans should not be limited in their choice of vehicles by the fuel-efficiency restrictions required by the new emissions rule; and the whole concept of such limits makes no sense because U.S. oil production has soared past its previous peak in 1970 in the past few years. The primary reason for that production increase has been the spread of hydraulic fracturing—“fracking”—of tight shale formations giving companies access to oil and natural gas they couldn’t extract two decades ago.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Cracking the SAFE: Trump Fuel Standard Rollback Based On Faulty Math: “Yesterday, The New York Times released a report exposing how the oil industry, not the automobile industry, influenced the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back strong fuel efficiency standards introduced under President Obama. Marathon Petroleum, the nation’s biggest oil refiner, along with the Koch network, launched an aggressive, but covert, campaign to keep Americans hooked on their gas-guzzlers. The oil industry’s fingerprints can be seen on letters from state lawmakers to the Transportation Department, Facebook ads, public comments and draft legislation for states. It now makes sense why automakers expressed some concern about how far the administration’s rollback goes... the proposal wasn’t written for them. The Trump administration went to great lengths to make the oil-backed proposal palatable to the public, releasing an analysis so flawed and cherry-picked that researchers called the justification ‘embarrassing,’ ‘dishonest’ and ‘sloppy’.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
billofrights writes—Sifting Through the Ashes of Paradise : Electricity Markets in the Age of Climate Disruption: “Let this serve as a brief ‘Preface’ to the Introduction. Early in September of this year, I tried to interest a major national developer of utility scale solar projects in the US, who has also done the largest solar farms in Maryland so far, into considering a project for the Western part of the state, near Cumberland and Frostburg. It being a gubernatorial election year, I thought that some traction, a ‘tour’ even, might get things rolling. As we talked, he was on the Internet searching for the nearest high voltage lines, which cross state Route 36 just south of Frostburg, at the northern end of the famous coal fields of the Georges Creek Valley. He wasn’t interested in community solar, but instead of feeding solar power into the wholesale electricity markets, run by PJM in our area. He hadn’t heard about all the impaired coal mining lands out here, running to the thousands of acres. He did ask about subsidies/incentives, who owned such lands, and who else backed such projects. And aside from some green stalwarts in Allegany and Garrett County, citizens, that is, that’s about as far as the discussion went.”
billofrights writes—Why the Largest Proposed Solar Farm East of the Rockies is going to Virginia, not rural Maryland: “On Saturday, October 6th, I came across an article in the Email version of the Clean Economy Weekly that caught my attention: ‘Huge Virginia Solar Farm Chugs Forward,’ by Dan Gearino. And ever since then, I’ve been digging, sorting and weighing, trying to understand not just the outlines of the largest solar “utility scale’ project east of the Mississippi, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, some 60 miles southwest of DC, but also the details, the why and how of what will be the fifth largest solar photo voltaic facility in the country, if and when it actually gets built. If Spotsylvania County does not ring any bells for you, it was the alleged home of the literary and TV series character of Roots, Kunta Kinte, aka Toby Waller, who was sold from Maryland into Virginia slavery in the 18th century. The county was also home to some of the Civil War’s worst killing fields: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania. I don’t know if the project’s sponsors or the builder welcome those associations, but my readers shouldn’t be wandering about, disoriented, in a geographical ‘wilderness’. [...] Here’s a sketch of it: at full build out, anticipated to take just a year once the county green light is given, there could be as many as 1.8 million solar panels on 3500 hundred acres, with 2,850 acres preserved, out of the total project area of 6350 acres, which is about ten square miles. Much of this land has been recently timber-harvested, and from pictures I’ve seen, it looks to have been clear-cut.”
REGULATIONS & PROTECTIONS
Meteor Blades writes—Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke leaving at year's end. Will he depart on the horse he rode in on? “The swaggering guy who commanded his staff to fly an obscure Department of Interior flag with a bison seal every time he was in the office, a guy who ordered the minting of Interior coins with his name on them, a guy who spent tax money on questionable private jet travel together with his wife, a guy who has been involved in a Halliburton development plan for his tiny hometown, a guy who rode roughshod over ethical rules to become the subject of 18 investigations for mixing private and public business and other lapses, will depart his post at the end of this year. [...] One service Zinke has definitely accomplished during his tenure is his deep kowtow to the extractive industries. With his reviews recommending the shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments established or expanded by President Obama, and the opening of additional millions of acres of public lands to drilling and mining, Zinke made happy many conservative state officials and the oil and gas industry. But this upset western conservationists who had supported his 2008 Montana Senate race and his 2014 race for Congress.”
subir writes—They cannot be allowed to get away with it by resigning: “We all know how this game is being played. The Scott Pruitts, Kris Kobachs and Ryan Zinkes of the world are pushed into powerful positions by organized networks of oligarchs. Once in these positions they abuse power to benefit their masters. In some administrations they get away with it without any consequence whatsoever. Their oligarch masters then reward them with sinecures that pay millions or tens of millions. These are quite plainly payment for corrupt services rendered. If this cycle is to end, then high officials who abuse their power and violate the public trust must be vigorously investigated. They cannot be permitted to slink away by resigning or retiring when their terms end. The Trump administration is so toxic, and its cabinet so corrupt, that many are being forced to resign in shame, taken down by dogged reporting of scandals. If we allow things to continue as they have in the past, once they resign, these malefactors will lay low for a few months, and then come up for air at some oligarch’s business. They will receive large amounts as rewards for their corruption and malfeasance in helping a benefactor exploit and abuse our natural or human resources.”
accumbens writes—Ryan Zinke Is Out at Interior Department: “President Trump made the announcement on Twitter early Saturday, saying Zinke had “accomplished much during his tenure” and thanking him for his service. Yep, I guess more than a dozen investigations into his shenanigans is a lot to accomplish. The former Montana congressman had a tumultuous tenure as chief steward of America’s natural resources, facing nearly 20 federal investigations ― one of which his agency’s internal watchdog recently referred to the Justice Department for possible criminal violations ― and besieged by a steady drumbeat of unfavorable headlines.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—EPA Advisor Accepts API Edits, As Zinke Swaps Academics for Executives On Park Boards: “Science advisory boards serve across the federal government as a resource for policy-makers who want to make sure their work is based on facts. Of course, this is less of a concern in the Trump administration, and the on-going replacement of experts on various science boards rarely rises above the din of the day’s scandals. But that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant! For example, when Scott Pruitt began replacing academics with industry hacks on EPA advisory panels, his claim was that scientists whose work was funded by the EPA would be biased when advising the EPA. Now, we might believe this was a good-faith concern if it weren’t for the fact that the people brought in to replace them were themselves so obviously biased. Some of the ousted members sued, and it’s looking like a judge is going to let the case continue after the government asked to stop it at a hearing on December 7th. But the outcome is still a long way off, and until then the current board will be under the influence of Pruitt’s pro-pollution advisors. For example, the new chair of the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee is Tony Cox, whose work has been funded by the tobacco industry and the fossil fuel industry. But, deniers say, just because someone is funded by Big Oil doesn’t mean Big Oil is influencing their work.”
nikirk writes—Maintain the Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine: “The Trump Administration’s proposal to lift the quarantine of the emerald ash borer (EAB) is ill advised. The emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle that came to the United States in 2002 from Asia. The insect lays its eggs in the bark of ash trees. The larvae then live and eat under bark of the ash trees until they fully mature. The larvae eventually kill the ash trees from the inside. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the insect can found anywhere in the United States from Massachusetts to Colorado. While the entire range of the EAB isn’t clearly known, the federal quarantine is thought to contain or slow the westward expansion of the EAB so that we have a better understanding of the EAB’s general location. Removing the quarantine would allow the EAB to spread throughout the United States with very little knowledge of its movements. While the government says that it will control the EAB through the use of biological measures, these are not likely to be effective. The USDA stated that their biological controls would consist of practices such as introducing parasitic wasps and biological agents that would supposedly interrupt the EAB’s life cycle. However, their controls would do nothing to control the spread of the insect because they would not have small, specific regions to treat.”
Dawn R. Wolfe writes—Medical executive facing manslaughter charges in Flint water case given lucrative state job: “Less than a week after a judge ruled that Michigan’s chief medical executive will face trial in connection to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that led to the death of 12 people, the state’s health department has created an “advisory physician” job for the embattled doctor, paying nearly $180,000 a year. According to a Detroit News report,creating the civil service position for Dr. Eden Wells will make it harder for the incoming Democratic administration to fire her for her alleged role in covering up an outbreak of the pneumonia-like Legionnaires’ disease at McLaren Hospital. Experts say the outbreak is tied to the 2014 switch to Flint River water under an emergency manager appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Wells stands accused of involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and lying to a law enforcement officer. She is the second member of Snyder’s cabinet to face involuntary manslaughter charges in the Legionnaires’ outbreak; Health and Human Services director Nick Lyon was charged in August. Wells was initially charged with obstruction of justice and lying to a police officer last June. She is also alleged to have forbidden a county health department from notifying the public, interfered with the work of university researchers, and lied about when she learned of the outbreak, according to the Associated Press.”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
Meteor Blades writes—Five Questions for Sunrise co-founder Varshini Prakash about climate activism and a Green New Deal: “As so often happens on the left, the discussion among a group of eight, mostly under-30 core organizers came down to whether to focus on protests or elections. They decided to found Sunrise on the premise that both are needed. The strategy they chose in early 2017 was: disrupt, vote in 2018; disrupt, vote in 2020. The goal: Make 2020 the first presidential election about climate change. Co-founder and Sunrise Lead Spokeswoman Varshini Prakash said in an interview at the time: After reflecting deeply on our wins and losses, we came up with three key principles. First, if we ignore elections and the power that’s on the table, we’ll lose. Second, the gains made through creative protest have been powerful, but they will only be protected if we achieve institutional, political power. And, finally, if we elect people who only care about the climate crisis in name, but are unwilling to stand up to the fossil fuel industry in practice, we’ll also lose. So we must merge electoral organizing with creative protest to build, alongside others, a political force great enough to win. And that’s that they’re doing, building an army of volunteers to pressure sitting politicians to get off their behinds and take action on climate change, and working to elect candidates who already take climate policy seriously.”
Eric Stamps writes—Climate Action isn’t Infighting: “Climate activist from the group Sunrise Movement has been on Capitol Hill calling for Democratic leaders to support a Green New Deal. Some have said that these activist are ‘fighting the wrong people.’ I disagree, they are doing exactly what should be done. I see no reason why people should waste time and energy convincing republicans who think climate change is a hoax to support going towards 100% renewable energy. We can just organize to vote them out of office. Yet, we do have a problem in our party where elected officials will campaign as if they are environmentalists but once they are elected no action is taken. In Virginia, this is especially the case. Look no further than the Mountain Valley & Atlantic Coast Pipelines.”
gmoke writes—Demands of the Yellow Vests or Gilets Jaunes: “I’ve found it frustrating that the media and online commentary is more names and phrases — Yellow Vests, Green New Deal, Extinction Rebellion — ad infinitum than an actual discussion of the issues these people are demonstrating about. I had to spend some effort to find out what the demands and, thus, the issues actually are. Now I can decide what to think and do about it. May this information be of use to you. In French: www.scribd.com/… As translated on twitter: threadreaderapp.com/...”
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: No, French protesters aren't opposed to better climate policies: “Like much of the media, Donald Trump used the occasion of hundreds of arrests of ‘yellow jacket’ protesters in France on Saturday to tweet that the month-long expressions of violence catalyzed by an increased fuel tax prove that people aren’t interested in environmental protection, particularly policies to address climate change. He and the shallow media reports have it wrong. On that same Saturday tens of thousands of supporters of climate action peacefully demonstrated in the streets of Paris and were joined by numerous yellow jacket protesters. Stéphane Mandard of Le Monde wrote that one of the yellow vests was emblazoned with a slogan that seemed to offer one answer to the two struggles: ‘Make the rich pay for the environmental transition’.”
Samin662 writes—The French riots are not anti-environmentalism and it did not result from the Paris Agreement: “President Trump recently turned to twitter to express his opinions on the Paris riots. The President, and a lot of his followers who vehemently oppose environmental regulations , looked to the events in Paris as further validation of their beliefs.The belief that environmental regulations hurt people, it costs them money and working class people hate it. While it is true that the riots started after the Macron government introduced tax hikes on fuel in an effort to reduce the nation’s carbon emissions, to solely pin the whole movement to that singular hike is lazy. So, without hesitation, our President tweeted exactly that — he blamed the Paris Agreement for the whole movement. But this was not a movement against climate change.”
KM Wehrstein writes—15-year-old: leaders "behaving like children" on climate change; school strike spreading worldwide: “On behalf of all kids worldwide, 15-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg delivered a thundering smackdown to adult leaders at the UN’s 2018 world climate conference (COP24) currently happening in Katowice, Poland. ‘For 25 years countless people have come to the UN climate conferences begging our world leaders to stop emissions and clearly that has not worked as emissions are continuing to rise. So I will not beg the world leaders to care for our future,’ she said. ‘I will instead let them know change is coming whether they like it or not. Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago,’ she said. ‘We have to understand what the older generation has dealt to us, what mess they have created that we have to clean up and live with. We have to make our voices heard.’ Mention of leaders behaving like children brings one particular climate-change-denying leader to mind instantly.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Need To Defend Your Lethal Product From Profit-Harming Public Protections? Commission a NERA report! “DeSmog Blog ran a great story last week detailing the shady origins of a new report the Koch network is using to attack tax credits for electric vehicles. A Koch company, Flint Hill Resources, commissioned the report from the National Economic Research Associates (NERA), and it was then promoted by other Koch-y groups and ‘reported’ on by the Koch’s Daily Caller. As DeSmog’s Ben Jarvey points out, this is hardly NERA’s first pro-polluter rodeo, as the organization has long been a hired gun for the industry. It was co-founded by Iwrin Setlzer from the Hudson Institute, a Koch industry and apparently Russian oligarch-funded free-market group. As is generally the case when one has to produce reports for polluters, NERA’s work is frequently criticized in the harshest of terms. For example, a NERA report on new ozone regulations, which was commissioned by the National Association of Manufacturers, was fact-checked by a research firm which found the report ‘grossly overstates compliance costs, due to major flaws, math errors, and unfounded assumptions.’ One of the report authors told Media Matters that NERA’s estimates of job losses from the proposed policy were ‘fraudulent’ and calculations were done in ‘an insane way’.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
nkgodfrey writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, Vol. 14.50: Succulents: “Over the years I have accumulated a haphazard collection of succulents. Some were left at this house when we moved in, some I bought at yard sales for $1 to $5, and some we bought at garden centers to fill in an area without irrigation. I tend to focus on year-round flowers so the succulents have been a neglected afterthought. If you asked me the name of any of my succulents a year ago, I would have no idea. Once I started using my succulents as problem-solvers, I wanted to learn more. After perusing several books from my library, I purchased Debra Lee Baldwin’s book, Designing with Succulents. Her book and website were key sources for this diary. Today, I will share a few different uses of succulents and summarize some of the main types available. Moving to a hillside property meant that I had more landscape issues to address such as erosion. Building a path and patio on the hill also added to the erosion issue.”
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
kernals writes—Helicopter Mass Transit: “Have you ever been stuck in traffic and wondered why couldn’t just fly over all that gridlock? Well, for a time, you could. The story of New York Airways is a fascinating one, and one that ends in tragedy. Helicopters captured the imagination of postwar America in a big way. Few actually believed that everyone would have a chopper in their driveway, but many saw an opportunity as a system of public transportation. Helicopters could take off and land in a much wider variety of places than airplanes but travel much faster than buses or trains. New York Airways started as a mail carrier in 1949 but in 1953 began offering passenger service. New York Airways, at its peak, served a half dozen locations in metro New York. Its most famous route was from the top of the Pan Am building (now the Metlife building) adjacent to Grand Central to JFK airport. This way, you arrive at Grand Central by train and be only a brief helicopter ride from your airplane. This service only lasted from 1965 to 1968 and for a brief period in 1977 (we’ll get to that later). Passengers could enjoy a wonderful view of the city as they breezed over all the traffic.”
MISCELLANY
Laura G writes—Next to Build in a High Risk Fire Zone: Tejon Ranch: “The Los Angeles Times today covered a story of how the California Native Plant Society and related organizations have been frozen out of access to the Tejon Ranch because of opposing development as it stands on the ranch. Very interesting article and worth your time. The bigger story is that opposition to the Tejon Ranch development plan needs to get mobilized. There are many reasons to oppose, but high fire risk is one of the most important. We can’t afford to go forward with developments that cost so much environmentally, and risk personal catastrophe the Paradise Fire. The costs to society are too high and getting higher. More information and links at the California Native Plant Society website.”