Happy Thursday, Kos-mmunity, and welcome back for this week’s TWITE, cross-posted as always from our Greenpower blog. Happy reading….
While I freely admit to a personal bias, I think it could be safely argued that the scientific method—that is, systematic, logic-based objective inquiry—has proven to be the most accurate way our species has of understanding the physical world around us. The unprecedented explosion of discovery and innovation over the past few centuries shows the power of this technique. Still, the climate crisis should remind us about the responsibility of wielding such power. Once we collectively realized our fossil fuel follies, we (slowly) began to take action. As climate change deniers do their best to muddy the waters with lies, obfuscation, and endless debate, they are often so successful that even a well-informed person can become confused about what exactly the truth is. With that in mind, I’ve chosen five climate science-focused articles from the past week as a reminder that there is still honest and responsible science being done.
At what point do those who deny science need to step aside so the rest of us can fix the mess we’re in?
—Jon Conway, Ph.D., Greenpower Research Director
5. What Makes the Climate Change? ScienceNordic
Let’s start with a recent overview of climate science. This two-part series covers the basics (greenhouse gases, feedback cycles, other forcings) as well as the history of both the climate and climate science. If you are reading this, you likely have at least a basic understanding of climate change—but it never hurts to brush up on such an important topic. It is one of the great tragedies of our time that such a crucial and sophisticated branch of science has been so politicized in the interest of personal profit.
4. Now We Know How Much Glacial Melting ‘Watermelon Snow’ Can CauseScienceNews
As delicious as it may sound, watermelon snow is in fact a threat to climate stability and not very tasty at all. Caused by algal growth on snow and ice (particularly as polar areas warm with the climate as a whole), the pink hue of the algae increases the amount of light—and heat—absorbed by the snow, accelerating melting. As anyone who has stood in a snowy area on a bright sunny day can tell you, snow reflects a lot of light; that is, it has a high albedo. This helps keep the snow and, on a larger scale, the planet cool, even under a blazing sun. When snow and ice melt due to increased temperatures or discoloration from algae, soot, or dust, the planet as a whole absorbs more heat from the sun. This is a prime example of a climate feedback loop.
3. Deniers Dismiss Link Between Climate Change, Super-Hurricanes as ‘Idle Chatter.’ It’s Anything But. ThinkProgress
The wave of hurricanes sweeping across the Atlantic over the past few weeks is unprecedented in recorded history. Since this kind of extreme hurricane season has been exactly predicted by climate scientists as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change, many people have correctly pointed to this horrific series of storms as a sign of things to come. Despite the basic principles at work (warmer water gives more energy to storms), those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo—and those who have bought into the profiteers’ propaganda—are denying any such connection. But make no mistake. Without swift and decisive action, there will be more hurricane seasons like this—and worse.
"For those who have built a career denying the existence and severity of climate change, well-established science is nothing more than ‘idle chatter.’ But for Americans who must live through—and plan for—an ever higher proportion of super hurricanes, the scientific reality of the hurricane-climate connection is gravely serious." —JOE ROMM, THINKPROGRESS
2. It Takes Just 4 Years to Detect Human Warming of the Oceans The Guardian
Earth’s climate, simply put, is a balance. Energy comes in from the sun (and from hot radioactive rocks underground) and leaves through the atmosphere into space. Between entering and leaving Earth’s climate system, this energy can be stored in a variety of forms: in life, in the atmosphere, in the Earth’s crust, and in the ocean. The ocean in particular is one of the main sinks for excess heat, but the size and complexity of such a vast reservoir has made studying it a challenge. New research has overcome these issues and found that the oceans are an excellent record of temperature increases, and that recent warming is due to human activities.
1. New Hope for Limiting Warming to 1.5 C Phys.org
It’s a rare occasion for truly hopeful news to come out of climatology, but a recent paper reached the surprising conclusion that we have (slightly) more time to cure our fatal addiction to fossil fuels than previously thought. When the goal to limit average global warming to 1.5°C was adopted under the Paris Agreement, it was criticized as unrealistic due to the rapidity with which we were approaching the target temperature. Many viewed it as more of an ideology than a practical goal, a statement of solidarity with low-lying island nations and others whose existence is threatened by warming beyond 1.5°C. But a recalculation of our remaining carbon budget suggests that—with urgent and decisive action—we can still avoid the worst effects of climate change. There is hope! But the time to act is NOW.
"This paper shows that the Paris goals are within reach, but clarifies what the commitment to 'pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C' really implies. Starting with the global review due next year, countries have to get out of coal and strengthen their existing targets so as to keep open the window to the Paris goals. " —MICHAEL GRUBB, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON