“The size of the global sea ice departure (i.e., amount of missing ice compared to 1981-2010) has just reached the largest anomaly in our satellite record…
More figures at https://zacklabe . com/global-sea-ice-extent-conc/….
Data from NSIDC.
https://twitter.com/ZLabe/status/1713905827684450415
“The latest update on Antarctic sea-ice extent from shows it’s 6.1σ below the 1991-2020 mean. About 1-in-1,700,000,000. That’s ‘billion.’
“Antarctic sea-ice in full collapse mode again… and global media attention on the latest crash? Crickets.”
https://twitter.com/EliotJacobson/status/1713896955074728078
“Global ocean and particularly N. Atlantic sea surface temperature Anomalies are remarkably high.
“This is not because the seas are heating up, but rather because they are not cooling DOWN to normal late fall temperatures. Weather outcomes can be expected.”
https://twitter.com/redactyl/status/1713767839134318947
“Coral Crisis: Massive Accumulation of Heat Stress in Summer 2023.
“In 2023, rising sea temperatures, amplified by human activities and El Niño, threatened coral reefs, especially around Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Satellite data indicated high risks of coral bleaching and mortality in these regions by mid-October.”
https://scitechdaily.com/coral-crisis-massive-accumulation-of-heat-stress-in-summer-2023/
“Norwegian Archaeologists Are Salvaging Priceless Artifacts From Melting Glaciers—Before It’s Too Late.
“…ice is an excellent preservative, but artifacts deteriorate rapidly once exposed to the elements. And the region’s ice is retreating fast. As one of the team’s archaeologists Lars Holger Pilø tells it, the group first started rescuing artefacts in 2006 following an unusually long and warm autumn. Now, such temperatures are hardly anomalous.”
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/norway-ice-archeology-2369685
“It has been very warm for many days for mid-Oct. (record levels) in western Nunavut [Arctic Canada].
“13.6°C [56.5F] Ennadai Lake (7 Tx > 10°C); 12.1°C Bathurst Inlet (3 Tx > 10°C); 12.0°C Arviat (3 Tx > 11°C); 11.2°C Baker Lake (3 Tx > 10°C)… No frost in Cambridge Bay where the normal Tmin is -15°C!”
https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1713705592748199964
“‘No normal seasons any more’: seed farmers struggle amid the climate crisis [US].
“Floods, freezes and heatwaves threaten seed production as farmers scramble to produce strains that resist climate chaos. Once upon a not-so-distant time, the growing season for the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Green Things Farm Collective followed a steadfast trajectory.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/16/seed-farmers-climate-change
“A rural Iowa town is the driest it has ever been. Its running low on water…
“Belle Plaine is scraping the bottom of its water reserves. It launched a water restriction July 27. Its four shallow wells are producing only 20 percent of their normal capacity, and the 2,300-some residents are now reliant on the town’s deep emergency well, laden with minerals.”
“Arizona’s record heat takes a toll on butterfly migrations…
“The National Weather Service reported a record 31 straight days of temperatures of 110 degrees or higher in 2023 in Phoenix. The heat took a toll on humans and other species they share the environment with, including butterflies.”
https://kjzz.org/content/1860155/arizonas-record-heat-takes-toll-butterfly-migrations
“Tucson’s official high Monday was 100 degrees, which ties for the latest calendar date with a triple-digit high on record for a year, matching Oct. 16, 1991 and 2020…
“The metro area is in for a week of near-record heat, the National Weather Service says.”
“Why saltwater is invading the Mississippi River.
“The worst saltwater intrusion into the Mississippi River in decades is threatening to contaminate New Orleans’s major water supply. If the emergency measures currently being implemented do not succeed, this could leave nearly a million people searching for alternative sources of drinking water…”
https://geographical.co.uk/science-environment/why-saltwater-is-invading-the-mississippi-river
“Wildfires are dealing a massive blow to US real estate and homeownership, congressional report finds.
“Climate change-fueled wildfires are costing the US economy between $394 billion to $893 billion annually, a new congressional report suggests – a shocking figure that is more than double what previous government reports have estimated.”
“September 2023 in Barbados was exceptionally warm and dry
“The country broke every record: 35.6C [96.1F] Highest temperature in country history; Up to 30C Minimum temperatures; 34.2C all time record in Grantley Adams Int. Airport. Rainfall at Charnocks was only 40.1mm (average 162.6mm).”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1713961869566681291
“Unbelievable FRENCH GUIANA: Hottest day on record again! 39.1C [102.F] today at Grand Santi.
“All time highs also in other stations including 38.9C at St Laurent; More records in the Caribbeans: Roatan Island (Honduras) Tmin 29.4 Tmax 35; San Andres Island (Colombia) Tmin 28.9 Tmax 34.8.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1713295041773396283
“The water level at a major river port [Manaus] in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years [ie on record], as a historic drought upends the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and damages the jungle ecosystem.
“Rapidly drying tributaries to the mighty Amazon river have left boats stranded, cutting off food and water supplies to remote jungle village…”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/16/amazon-drought-manaus-lowest-water-level
“Forest fires threaten to overwhelm the Amazon basin…
“The letter [published by a group of scientists in published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution] notes: “The consequences of inaction on Amazon wildfires and inattention to the types and drivers of fires are severe and must be avoided. These include considerable carbon emissions from forest-burning and a weakening of one of the world’s most critical carbon sinks.””
“Historic heatwave in South America!
46.5°C [115.7F] Villamontes, Bolivia – 0.2°C from the all-time national record and 0.8°C from the all-time record for South America! 45.3°C Argentina; 44.8°C Paraguay, 0.2°C from the Oct. national record; 43.0°C Asuncion (all-time record).”
https://twitter.com/ThierryGooseBC/status/1714087625831883201
“The Bolivian government reported Monday that 200,871 families have been affected by the drought ravaging several departments, some of which have declared a state of disaster or emergency.
“The vice minister of civil defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, said that Oruro has declared a state of “disaster,” while the regions of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Chuquisaca have declared a state of “emergency.””
https://www.laprensalatina.com/drought-in-bolivia-affects-more-than-200000-families/
“Climate-induced largescale browning in Chilean Mediterranean forest.
“We assessed climatic and productivity trends across the world’s five Mediterranean forest ecosystems and detected large-scale, abrupt forest browning in Chile. Extreme dry and warm conditions in Chile, unprecedented in the recent history of all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are projected to arise in the second half of this century.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-023-01546-2
“A westerly wind burst is occurring in the equatorial Pacific, leading to a rapid warming of some El Niño monitoring regions.
“The Niño 3.4 region is over +1.7˚C above average & may soon reach +2.0˚C. Reduced trade winds in the weeks ahead will see El Niño intensify…”
https://twitter.com/BenNollWeather/status/1713902864316162557
“Man dies and homes feared lost in bushfire near Kempsey as almost 80 fires burn across NSW…
“Park urged NSW residents to be prepared for a “very difficult summer period”. “What we’re facing is very hot, dry [and] potentially very windy conditions, and that means that people need to take some responsibility in ensuring they have a plan to exit and get away,” he said. “That’s the responsibility for all of us.””
“Brutal heat wave in Western Australia, historic October records have been shattered with huge margins:
“43.9C [111F] Carnarvon it’s even above its November record; 41.3C Gerladton; 36.4C Rottnest Island; More South Perth Airport 36.9C and Perth Centre 36.5C close to their records.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1713845343962460568
“Indonesia is sizzling with record heat:
“Today up to 39C [102.2F] in Java (39.0C Jatiwangi) and 38C in Sulawesi (38.0C at Palu); Also 37.4C Serang tied its hottest day in history; 37.4C Curug tied its hottest October day; Next few days Jatiwangi will attack the all time national heat record.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1713897041779163299
“Southeast Asia haze returns as peatland fires fan global warming fears.
“At a time when climate change is presenting an existential threat to human beings, the fear is that these seasonal haze situations will worsen as intensifying global warming renders the peatlands and forests even more combustible in the dry season. Southeast Asia is home to about 40% of the world’s total peatlands…”
“Stifling heat in Thailand from North to South.
“Today 37.0C [98.6F] at Mae Sariang in the North (0.1C from monthly record), October heat record in the Gulf with 35.6C at Koh Sichang. Minimum temperatures up to 28.6C at Bangkok, a record for October with dew points up to 29C.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1713563993535639828
“Devastating Floods Hit War-Torn Kayah State, Displacing Thousands [Myanmar].
“At least 10,000 people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), have been lost homes or crops due to devastating flooding in Kayah state’s Loikaw and southern Shan state’s Moebye townships, local residents and aid groups reported on Monday.”
“Massive sandstorm engulfs Azraq City in Jordan.
“The strong winds accompanying the storm created a dense shroud of dust, reducing visibility and deteriorating air quality. Sandstorms, like the one experienced in Azraq can have far reaching consequences both for public health and regional infrastructure.”
“Paris at 50°C: City prepares for extreme heatwaves of the future.
“The year is 2032 and Paris has been hit by a heatwave that has seen temperatures peak at over 50°C for ten days in a row: That was the scenario of a crisis simulation exercise carried out in the French capital on Friday, October 13, that aimed to help prepare the city…”
“How Megafires Are Remaking the World.
“…as fires intensify, they are beginning to outstrip nature’s ability to bounce back. “Not all fires have the same impact,” said Morgan Tingley, an ecologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. “These megafires are not good for ecosystems.””
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/15/science/climate-wildfires-ecosystems.html
“Revealed: World’s CO2 emissions set to rise by about 1 per cent to new record in 2023…
“The estimate has alarmed scientists because the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere needs to fall quickly and sharply if the planet is to have any hope of avoiding runaway climate change, they say.”
“Methane levels are rising – could it be nature’s response to warming?
“…The gas comes from three different sources. One-third is from industries like oil and gas. One-third is from agriculture and waste, and one-third comes from nature. Which one is responsible for the recent rise in methane? Experts say we need more information on what’s happening in nature.”
“Climate change is the catastrophe to end all other catastrophes…
“I’d rather not write about the climate emergency. I am, or was, primarily a fiction writer, and I’d love to get back to working on novels… Yet I increasingly find myself unable to talk about anything other than the failure of our institutions to face up to the climate breakdown.”
“10 Reasons Our Civilization Will Soon Collapse…
“That’s right. Our entire global industrial civilization is going to collapse. And soon, which means within the lifetimes of most people alive today… In this article, I will list 10 problems the world is facing, each of which could cause the collapse of civilization all on its own.”
https://www.okdoomer.io/10-reasons-our-civilization-will-soon-collapse/
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
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American Catholics Call for Climate Action after Pope Francis Encourages Change
Pope Francis’s new encyclical says irresponsible lifestyles are the biggest impediment to reducing carbon emissions
By John Fialka, E&E News on October 16, 2023
Last Thursday, Catholics, environmental leaders and academics met at Georgetown University in Washington to discuss the pope’s message — and call for stricter laws to cut carbon dioxide and methane emissions. About 1,200 people attended the “public dialogue,” either in person or online.
Sharon Lavigne, who leads the faith-based advocacy group RISE St. James, was among five panelists at the discussion. She spoke about Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley,” an 80-mile stretch along the Mississippi River that is home to a cluster of oil refineries and other petrochemical producers.
Her home in St. James Parish, La. — a predominantly Black community — is surrounded by industrial facilities, said Lavigne, a retired Catholic teacher.
“We are fighting for our lives,” she asserted, pointing to the deaths in her area from cancer. “Every week we have a funeral.”
“Someone needs to do something, and I feel if Pope Francis brings it down to us, to the bishops to priests, we can stand together in solidarity,” Lavigne added. “We can stop this.”
Christiana Zenner, who teaches theology at Fordham University in New York, is writing a book about Pope Francis encouraging Catholics to become more active in the global fight against climate change.
Pope Francis, she said, appears “heartbroken” over the continuing escalation of climate change and the emissions that cause it. Her book will focus on the Pope’s original 2015 encyclical, called “Laudato Si’,” and the recent update.
About 51 million adult Catholics live in the U.S., making the Catholic Church the largest single religious institution in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. In 2021, Pew found that most Americans had a favorable view of Pope Francis, including 82 percent of Catholics.
My family is Roman Catholic…sad to report not much in regard to this and other current crisis issues at the local level…
But given the fact at this stage of the game…does it really matter?
No, at this stage of the mass extinction event it does not matter. Homo sapiens are not capable of reversing the irreversible. Be kind and loving to all. Peaceful now
Brazil tells landowners to stop setting fires in Amazon ‘climate emergency’
Reuters
October 13, 20235:15 PM EDTUpdated 4 days ago
SAO PAULO, Oct 13 (Reuters) – Brazil’s government told ranchers and farmers on Friday to stop setting fire to the Amazon rainforest as clouds of dense gray smoke make the air increasingly unbreathable in the northern city of Manaus, threatening sanctions if they do burn areas of land.
“Fire is not natural in the Amazon, it comes from criminal actions or deforestation,” Environment Minister Marina Silva told reporters. “There are people criminally setting fire to public and private areas.”
world’s largest rainforest is facing a historical drought worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon. Rainfall below average is increasing the polluting effects of the region’s annual burning season.
This is the time of year when fires tend to spike in the Amazon as rains subside, making it easier for ranchers and farmers who use fires to clear land, raise cattle and grow commercial crops.
According to the Brazilian government, 60 of the 62 cities in northern Amazonas state have declared a state of emergency because of drought and wildfires, and the month of October is expected to be “challenging”.
Silva said the government would send more than 300 firefighters and two aircraft to help put out the fires.
Those who deliberately set fire to private areas will have their properties embargoed and no longer be able to obtain funding, according to the head of environment agency IBAMA, Rodrigo Agostinho.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has staked his international reputation on reversing environmental back-sliding under his far-right predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, when Amazon deforestation soared.
Not the panic button is being struck by all sides ..too little too late
“World’s largest rainforest is facing a historical drought worsened by the El Nino weather phenomenon.”
This is not a good situation with sections of the Amazon already at record lows and El Nino still incipient. We may have a humanitarian crisis on our hands if transporting food and goods by river becomes non-viable for an extended period.
As global megacollapse happens, as is shown to be plain by the tireless and deeply informed efforts of Pan-O, humanity will resort to many irrational methods to contend with the ultra-threatening shocks, like listening to a cult spokes-celibate opine from his ceremonial geriatric chair, or chase dreams of supra-conquest through completely lunatic, debased political systems.
Alan Urban, though, is the real deal, writing collapse’s greatest hits in one short, incontrovertible set.
The problem is that we here have heard these greatest hits time and time again, and you can’t really dance to them anymore. Urban’s one glaring fault in his rockin’ blast is the usual incorporation of a “we” rather than a “them.”
“We” are not the controllers and capitalizers of the supersystem. Urban shows off zero understanding of how social and political power works in our ultrasocial human world (a perpetual black hole for just about every collapse-adjacent thinker). “We” are not capable of buying a few years’ time before la deluge.
Martin, re Alan Urban, he is a new name to me and it is so refreshing to encounter someone who has a really good overview of our multi-faceted predicament that I am happy not to quibble – but I take your point.
Reading “The Heat Will Kill You First”. A must read if you haven’t already.
Thanx again, Harry!
Kathi, you are welcome and thank you for the suggestion.
Honestly, I’ve reached a point where I feel I’ve done enough reading around our transgression of ecological limits to have a fairly good sense of what is going on, and am content (if that is the right word, which it almost certainly isn’t) to just watch it all unfold.
I am tending to spend such free time as I have watching YouTube these days – in particular animal rescue videos and videos of people reacting to music I like. God knows why I like the latter but I do. 😆
Edit – I will admit though, that having read the blurb, I am kind of tempted 😂 :
“Masterfully reported, mixing the latest scientific insight with on-the-ground storytelling, Jeff Goodell tackles the big questions and uncovers how extreme heat is a force beyond anything we have reckoned with before.”
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/63251778
Thanks for the tip. I bet much of it is really good but this part from the book description doesn’t sound so good: “is injected with “eternal optimism” (Michael Mann) on how to combat one of the most important issues of our time.” Michael Mann 🤮
And this is false as far as I know: “The basic science is not complicated: Stop burning fossil fuels tomorrow, and the global temperature will stop rising tomorrow. Stop burning fossil fuels in 50 years, and the temperature will keep rising for 50 years, making parts of our planet virtually uninhabitable. It’s up to us.” Wishful thinking that warming will stop the second we stop burning fossil fuels.
Hello Pan
That’s a nice overview those ‘ten reasons and so on…..’
Maybe an idea for a ‘yearbook’ for you.
You use that ‘ten reasons’ format and let GPT chatbox scan and summarise your daily selection chapter by chapter for and nice book around the turn of the year…..A sort of ominous record of a ‘chronicle of ongoing events’…..
Such an AI robot will ‘whistle’ for you …. it will not make you gloomy….In addition, it can help you with your daily ‘research’, you can occasionally escape from your work, which will not always contribute to your ‘life optimism’ anyway 🙂
Put it on I think your site is very important.
Tomorrow it’s going to rain and not so sparingly too. I expect you’ll post about it in a few days…. 🙂
That’s going to cause flooding and damage in southern France
Zip, I recall you mentioning you were due some intense rains – hopefully not too intense!
https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/French-news/Heightened-alerts-for-heavy-rain-and-floods-in-southern-France
we will survive 😉
Pan is becoming the life of the AGW party.
From the third link: “Weather outcomes can be expected.”
That’s hilarious!
AI sent me an email that said: “We are smart enough to not destroy our habitat.”
Who would have thought AI could be sarcastic?