“Greenland’s largest glaciers are currently melting at levels close to what scientists had previously expected under a future “worst-case scenario”, a study has found.
“Using a combination of aerial photographs and field data, the study found that current rates of mass loss from Greenland’s three largest glaciers are higher than once thought.”
“…unprecedented wildfires are devastating large land areas within the Arctic Circle…
“While climate change is increasing the ground temperature in Arctic regions and contributing to the frequency of wildfires, the damage caused by wildfires may in turn cause compounding effects that will continue to drive climate change.”
https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/wildfires-arctic-amplification-feedback-cycle/
“In a last-ditch attempt to make good on promises to the oil and gas industry, the Trump administration is rushing to formalize plans to drill for oil in the Arctic national wildlife refuge before Joe Biden takes office.
“On Tuesday, the Bureau of Land Management initiated the process with a formal “call for nominations”, inviting input on which land tracts should be auctioned off in the refuge’s 1.5m-acre coastal plain region.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/17/trump-oil-drilling-arctic-wildlife-refuge-alaska
“Video shows damage at Rocky Mountain National Park after wildfires burned 30,000 acres:
“This wildfire season has been brutal on Rocky Mountain National Park as fires consumed 9% of the park and destroyed several historic buildings.”
“Sequoia experts may never know how many of the world’s most massive trees died in the Castle fire [California], but judging by what they have seen so far, they say the number is certainly in the hundreds — and could easily top 1,000.
““This fire could have put a noticeable dent in the world’s supply of big sequoias,” said Nate Stephenson, a research ecologist…”
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2020-11-16/sierra-nevada-giant-sequoias-killed-castle-fire
“A fast-moving wildfire burning in winds gusting in excess of 50 mph (80 kph) destroyed multiple homes in a southwest Reno neighborhood Tuesday and forced the evacuation of hundreds more on the edge of the Sierra foothills.
“Reno Fire Chief David Cochran said as many as 500 homes were potentially threatened by the wind-driven blaze that grew to 1,500 acres (600 hectares) within 3 hours of when it broke out…”
https://www.kcra.com/article/wildfire-reno-homes-in-dangerous-winds/34705925
“We usually think of Las Vegas as the land of milk and honey… But experts have been predicting for years that, by 2021, water levels in Lake Mead could drop to such a low level it would create a water shortage.
“…the climate emergency and recent droughts have changed the complexion and urgency of the problem.”
https://www.casino.org/blog/las-vegas-water-explained/
“This summer was Arizona’s hottest on record, and in August, the city clocked four days that were 43 degrees C (110 degrees F) or hotter and 26 that were over 37 degrees C (99 degrees F). Tucson temperatures are on average 2.5 degrees C (4.5 degrees F) warmer now than in 1970…
“In September, Tucson’s hottest and driest on record, city officials declared a climate emergency…”
“When will it end? We’re officially eight weeks into fall, and Phoenix is still having a hard time forgetting its summer.
“Tuesday again set the record for the latest day in the year to reach 90 degrees.”
“A rare tornado warning was issued for Manhattan and the Bronx on Sunday night as strong winds [up to 75mph] and rain pummelled the area…
“NBC News meteorologist Brittany Borer said the warning was issued after there was some indication of rotation in the clouds near Fort Lee, New Jersey, west of New York City, indicating a tornado could be generated.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rare-tornado-warning-issued-manhattan-bronx-overnight-n1247886
“The Mexican government has admitted it took the decision to release unusually large amounts of water from a dam in the south of the country, which has left thousands of people homeless.
“Water was discharged from the Peñitas dam [Tabasco, Mexico] following flooding caused by Hurricane Eta… local authorities believe as many as 72,000 people have now been left homeless [vast majority uninsured].”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/mexico-floods-homeless-hurricane-eta-b1723627.html
“Iota is now considered the strongest storm to hit Nicaragua in the country’s history and has killed six people, according to the Nicaraguan government…
“There is almost no communication with the city of Bilwi, also known as Puerto Cabezas, due to blackouts and fallen electrical cables.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/17/weather/hurricane-iota-tuesday/index.html
“As 2020 Amazon fire season winds down, Brazil carbon emissions rise.
“A ruinous fire season, record deforestation and rising carbon emissions leave scientists worried that Bolsonaro’s Brazil will blow past its Paris Climate targets, with devastating results for the Amazon and the world.”
“New Zealand marine heatwave looms following warmest winter on record:
“The news comes after climate experts in New Zealand gave their predications for the coming summer, which they said would be long, hot and dry, with an increased risk of bushfires and drought.”
“Emergency crews are still clearing the trail of destruction left behind after a severe thunderstorm struck Newcastle [NSW, Australia] overnight.
“The storm produced a barrage of lightning and wind gusts consistent with a category two tropical cyclone.”
“A state of calamity has been declared in the province of Bulacan [Philippines] on Tuesday following widespread flooding that left at least P1 billion in damage to agriculture and infrastructure.
“This city and five towns were under water. Hardest hit was the town of Calumpit where flooding went as deep as 2.4 meters [7.9 feet], more than the average height of a door.”
“Rising sea-surface temperatures, caused by excessive levels of greenhouse gases heating the atmosphere, mean the Philippines is facing larger storms, more often.
“Following the [recent typhoon] disasters, President Rodrigo Duterte… renewed calls for wealthy nations to be held accountable for the climate crisis that is being acutely felt in the developing world.”
“While world grappled with Covid-19, Indonesia lost over 200,000 hectares [this is actually a lower number than usual but it’s still gone forever] to forest fires:
“Plantation companies, including those with parent firms allegedly from Singapore and Malaysia, Mr Taufik writes, have continued to clear forests by burning them in order to plant oil palm and pulpwood, which is illegal, but still practised, in Indonesia.”
“More than 23,000 residents of Obongi District in West Nile, Uganda, have been displaced from their homes as the sub-region experiences severe flooding caused by rising River Nile waters.
“The rising water levels of River Nile, which started in June, have left Obongi Landing Site and the neighbouring Obongi Town Council submerged.”
https://allafrica.com/stories/202011160732.html
“Somalia’s ongoing seasonal rains have affected nearly 214,000 people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Monday.
“More than 180,000 people have been temporarily displaced from their homes… OCHA said in a statement… Climate change has been markedly felt in Somalia, Chad, and the Sahel region.”
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/floods-in-somalia-affect-nearly-214-000-people-un/2045799
“The Mer de Glace [glacier, France] has been shrinking since the beginning of the 20th century, but the loss has accelerated over the past two decades.
“Since 1900, it’s shrunk by about a third of its volume. In total it’s lost around 1.5 cubic kilometers [nearly 1 cubic mile] of ice. That’s equivalent to more than half a million Olympic swimming pools of ice.”
https://www.jwnenergy.com/article/2020/11/17/go-see-the-biggest-glacier-in-france-before-it-all/
“The world should react with the same urgency to climate change as is to the coronavirus crisis, the Red Cross says, warning that global warming poses a greater threat than COVID-19.
“Even as the pandemic rages, climate change is not taking a break from wreaking havoc, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said in a report.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/17/climate-change-bigger-threat-than-covid-red-cross
“Earth endured exceptional heat last month with October 2020 ranking fourth-hottest October on record.
“The year to date (January through October) ranked second-hottest for the globe as Arctic sea ice coverage shrank to historic lows for the month…”
https://phys.org/news/2020-11-remarkably-october-fuels-second-hottest-year.html
You can read the previous ‘Climate’ thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an ‘Economic’ thread.
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god help us .