Very soon we will all wake up to the reality that the scientific community horribly underestimated the extent and impacts of Global Warming
Bernie Sanders is the only climate realist in the race today. At MSNBC’s town hall today he let on what kind of an effort he understands that must be marshaled against the NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT that is global warming.
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MSNBC DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TOWN HALL
Columbus, OH
March 14, 2016
Bernie Sanders: This is the way that I look at it, I know that there are people may disagree with me, in World War II for example, the United States had to fight a war on two fronts in a very short period of time and within three years actually, we had essentially won the war.
I look at climate change almost in military terms. I look at the fact that if we do not significantly reduce carbon emissions there is going to be massive damage done to our country and this planet. But I have absolute confidence. . .
Chuck Todd: So you want to marshal that kind of resources. . .
Bernie Sanders: I think you’ve got to look at it almost as a war-like situation, we are being attacked, and the attack is coming from climate change. And you know what that is going to mean? It means more extreme weather disturbances, look at what is going on in California in terms of drought. You are going to have. . .the CIA tells us, more international conflict as people fight over limited natural resources.
We do have, and now what really shocks me is that you have a Republican Party that refuses to even acknowledge the reality of climate change, let alone do something about it. And you know what that is about? Its not that the Republicans don’t understand science. Its that they are dependent for their campaign contributions on the fossil fuel industry. Which takes us to the most important issue and that is the need to end Citizen’s United and end the corrupt corporate campaign finance system.
I have researched and written many articles, blogs and papers on climate change over the last 4 years. During that time I have published and presented at industry conferences and hosted brown-bag events for Utility representatives. As an engineer I have specialized on developing a workable plan for the necessary restructuring of our society so that we can have an effective reduction in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This plan involves using all aspects of efficiency, alternative fueled vehicles, renewable energy and microgrid transformation of the electric power distribution system, public transportation infrastructure and industrial retooling. I understand what we need to do and how we need to do it.
I have always suspected that Bernie Sanders understood this reality as well, but before today, I was not absolutely certain.
The reality is clear: Our scientific community has grossly underestimated the rate and impacts of climate change.
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- In 2007 they told us that the arctic would still have much ice at least through 2080.
- then in 2013 they said that the arctic would still have much ice at least through 2040
- today it looks like we may lose much of our remaining sea ice by 2025
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The reason for this is that the scientists were unable to accurately predict the impacts of high-atmosphere sulfur dioxide that helps to keep the earth cool. Now on some estimates, we find that nearly ½ of the total current effect of global warming has been offset by this pollution that MUST go away as we cut our fossil fuel consumption.
As we reduce our use of fossil fuels, this additional feedback will increase our global warming rate by 100% of current rates!
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The only way that we will be successful in saving future generations of Americans is by moving to a total societal mobilization. Akin to the WWII mobilization from 1941-1945. Except that we will have to maintain that effort for at least 12 years.
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It will take a new federal authority with the power of rationing
It will take an appropriation of industry for the retooling of non-fossil fuel infrastructure, similar to the command economy that dictated private vehicles not be made in the United States with all resources being directed toward the war effort.
It will take an entire revitalization of alternative-fueled public transportation, in urban AND rural areas.
It will take 9 regional manufacturing hubs, powered by Gen 3 nuclear power plants, generating approximately 14 GW of generation capacity used exclusively for this transformation of our society over the course of the next 15 years in an extended societal mobilization akin to WWII mobilization.
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Even then, we may not be successful
We have to reduce ALL of our emissions from fossil fuels by 85% over the next 20 years. After the arctic sea ice is gone we will experience a jump in warming in the arctic (in the summer) that will be equal to 40% of our total current global warming, simply due to more sunlight being absorbed by the earth (instead of reflected during the arctic summer).
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By 2025 the September Arctic Sea Ice Minimum will be below a critical threshold (and likely sooner)
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Even when we accomplish what must be done, we will also have to implement very expensive atmospheric carbon dioxide capture and sequestration. This must happen because the earth’s natural carbon feedbacks are beginning to increase CO2 in the atmosphere at a rate that is EQUAL to the U.S. emissions profile.
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Here is a summary of my published work on global warming and climate mitigation here on the Orange Monster.
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Thoughts on Climate Change — November 2, 2012
Which now will prove to even the most optimistic realist that we are headed for 3.5 degrees Celsius warming by 2035, even in the best case scenario, and 8.5 degrees by 2100. Unless we decide to devote the entirety of our U.S. domestic economy to combat greenhouse gas production and prepare for the coming climate catastrophes.
Climate Change — April 30, 2014
There is still hope. Hope for an equitable modernity that orients toward the preservation of future generations and the restoration of our ecosystems. There are valid examples of this happening (have happened!) all over the world.
It is everyone's job, those of us who are accurately informed, to understand what they can do on a personal level to ensure that this is where we end up going.
The Jet Stream is Broken — June 25, 2013 (rec list)
"I've been doing meteorology for 30 years and the jet stream the last three years has done stuff I've never seen,"
- Jeff Masters, The Weather Underground
We Just Lost 14 Years in the Fight to Save Our Planet — October 8, 2014
The Durack ocean heat accumulation analysis showed the earth was warming much more rapidly than we had previously thought
Global Warming Will Kill Your Children — January 8, 2015
These changes weren't supposed to happen so quickly. Even our most recent models from the MET in the UK held only gradual changes over the next 50 years or so.
Pacific Dying — February 14, 2015 (rec list)
This is NOT an El Nino year. This is a third year of unprecedented West Coast offshore sea surface temperature warming that is the HALLMARK of global warming.
The Murderous Lies of Senator Jeff Sessions — March 12, 2015
The Goldilocks Decade — March 13, 2015
The Earth is Set for Rapid Warming — March 14, 2015
400,000 Hiroshima bombs worth of energy absorbed by the earth in 2007 is now 800,000 bombs PER DAY
Rapid Warming is Here — May 22, 2015
The Oceans have begun to heat up at rates double those observed by scientists only 6 years ago. This graphic, released today by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) represents the work of hundreds of scientists deploying thousands of independent ARGO buoys throughout the globe's oceans.
Permafrost GHG Emissions to Surpass U.S. Contribution Rates Within Decades — October 18, 2015
This is why we have to cut our domestic GHG emissions by 50% in the next 15 years.
There is as much carbon in frozen permafrost as there is in all of the oil and gas reserves on the planet. This melting permafrost is NOT included in the IPCC temperature projections of climate change.
O’Malley, Hillary’s Climate Plan Would Literally Destroy the Planet — Feb 7, 2016 (rec list)
Her goal would be to reach 33 percent of clean energy in the electric grid by 2027, up from 16 percent today. “Secretary Clinton’s plan can most kindly be summed up as a voluntary solar panel plan for residences,” O’Malley told me. “Under her plan the planet would literally burn up.”
Stunning Jump in Northern Hemisphere Temperatures Breaches 2C Threshold! — March 5, 2016 (rec list)
I have consistently worked here to show the development of climate sciences, their inherent conservatisms and the likely consequences of an “all of the above” strategy as promoted by Pres Obama and now, Hillary Clinton. I have posted here for many years.
peace
vote for Bernie, I am not kidding.
