“The amount of frigid winter air is near a record low, and shrinking… Analysis reveals the second-smallest pool of cold air on record above the Northern Hemisphere, a clear sign of climate change…
“Nine of the 10 smallest winter cold pools since 1948-1949 have occurred in the 2000s, continuing a trend of shrinking winter cold pools that Martin identified in a 2015 study published in the Journal of Climate.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/02/27/cold-air-supply-record-low-climate/
“Scientists Are Freaking Out About Ocean Temperatures.
““It’s quite scary, partly because I’m not hearing any scientists that have a convincing explanation of why it is we’ve got such a departure,” he said. “We’re used to having a fairly good handle on things. But the impression at the moment is that things have gone further and faster than we expected. That’s an uncomfortable place as a scientist to be.””
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/climate/scientists-are-freaking-out-about-ocean-temperatures.html
“Did a marine heatwave cause 7,000 humpback whales to starve to death?
“Populations were recovering, but a new study reveals that numbers dropped by 20% coinciding with a period of record temperatures in the North Pacific. In 1972, a humpback whale nicknamed Festus was first spotted off the mountainous coast of south-east Alaska…”
“Alaska’s melting glaciers that rip homes apart.
“Qasa Alom meets a team conducting research on Alaska’s changing environment. Melting glaciers are causing catastrophic damage, ripping homes from the banks of the river, leaving locals to question what the future will hold.”
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0hf9c8b/alaska-s-melting-glaciers-that-rip-homes-apart
“Historic warmth in Canada, QUEBEC had its warmest February day on record with 20.5C [69F].
“Monthly records trounced in Ontario as well: 21.4C Windsor; 20.7C Sarnia; 19.5C Harrow; 18.0C Kemptville; 15.8C Peterborough.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762690824125534445
“Warm winter weather leads to chaos in energy trading as demand craters for heating.
“”I don’t know what you guys are doing with the weather over there, but it’s been causing havoc throughout the futures market and the natural gas market,” FOX Business Contributor and author of The Energy Report, Phil Flynn, told FOX Weather.”
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/winter-warmth-chaos-energy-trading-demand-craters
“Warmest winter ever. Minnesota has beat out the “Year Without a Winter,” setting new record…
“While this story was written three days before the official end of meteorological winter, there was no doubt as of early this week that a record that dates back nearly 150 years, to the winter of 1877-78, was going to fall.”
https://www.timberjay.com/stories/warmest-winter-ever,21216
“”Insane”: Historic winter heat wave smashes records across U.S…
“Omaha (80°F), Des Moines (78°F), Minneapolis (65°F) and Abilene, Texas (94°F), saw their hottest winter temperatures on Monday… In Springfield, Ill., the high on Tuesday reached 80°F, while Detroit, Flint and Saginaw, Mich. had their hottest winter days on record Tuesday, with a high of 73°F.”
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/28/heat-wave-temperatures-records-us-2024-winter
“Madison sees record-breaking temperature swing. It could be the new normal…
“…temperatures reached a high of 70 degrees on Tuesday and dropped to 11 degrees early Wednesday morning: A 59 degree difference… An expert said these weather patterns will have direct impact on the farming industry.”
https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2024/02/28/weather-madison
“How record February heat is priming the US for crop-wrecking ‘whiplash’…
“For crops, he added, “the risk is a freeze: They have this ‘false spring’ when things unusually warm, things start to bloom — then they get below-freezing temperatures, and the crop is damaged.””
“Ron DeSantis says Citizens Insurance is ‘not solvent’… The Governor continues to raise questions about the state insurance company’s ability to weather a significant event…
“…raising new questions about Citizens Property Insurance ahead of what is expected to be an active hurricane season.”
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/662068-ron-desantis-claims-citizens-insurance-is-not-solvent/
“Texas battles second-biggest wildfire disaster in state history.
“A rapidly spreading Texas wildfire has killed one person, forced residents to evacuate, cut off power to homes and businesses, and briefly paused operations at a nuclear weapons facility… Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68428496
“Insanity in MEXICO. Dozens of records brutalized from North to South. Nothing like this had ever happened.
“Some examples: 39.2 Ciudad Victoria; 36.3 Huajuapan de Leon 1600m; 34.4 Morelia 1915m asl! 32.2 Aguascalientes. Most extreme event in North American history.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762681552268403053
“Never ending record heat in South America from North to South. Mind blowing 35.4 [95.7F] at St Laurent FRENCH GUIANA It broke the monthly record more than 10 times!
“In PARAGUAY monthly record broken at San Estanislao with 39.4. Mildest day of summer in ANTARTICA with 14.8 at Esperanza.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762558380411851246
“Nearly 3,000 fires in Brazilian Amazon in February, new record.
“Brazil’s INPE space research institute said Wednesday its satellites had picked up 2,940 fires so far this month, 67 percent more than the previous high of 1,761 recorded in February 2007 and four times more than in the same month last year.”
“At least 12,000 families have been displaced from their homes after torrential rains caused rivers and streams to overflow, the Brazilian state of Acre said.
“The government said on Tuesday that 17 of the state’s 22 municipalities remained under a state of emergency caused by the devastating rainfall.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13132843/Brazils-Acre-River-bursts-banks.html
“The Scottish government’s climate change advisers have raised “serious concerns” about cuts to tree planting.
“It was announced in December that the woodland creation budget was being slashed by 41% from £77.2m to £45.4m. Ministers have admitted the cut means they will fall well short of next year’s target of 18,000 hectares of new woodland…”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68414290
“France’s changing climate: Fewer cold temperature records are being set…
“Météo-France’s national weather monitoring stations recorded 55 monthly cold records, compared with 2,451 warm records over the whole of 2023. In January 2024, despite a “wintry episode” at the beginning of the month, there were only nine cold records, compared with 170 heat records.”
“February 2024 was so warm in Germany that it would rank as the 8th warmest March on record since records began in 1881. Just plain ridiculous.”
https://twitter.com/WxNB_/status/1762882861118443863
“Switzerland sees warmest February since records began in 1864…
“The first half of February was extremely mild, with excess temperatures of between 3 and 7C, according to the MeteoNews weather service. Overall, the average temperature was found to be nearly 5C higher than the 30-year average for this time of year.”
https://www.thelocal.ch/20240228/switzerland-sees-warmest-february-since-records-began-in-1864
“HUNGARY broke more records including the first 20C [68F] in February in Debrecen and in Napkor.
“Tomorrow it can be even hotter and records can fall in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Balkans.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762877473803448390
“Risotto crisis: the fight to save Italy’s beloved dish from extinction.
“Ferraris realised the full extent of what he was about to lose only at the end of May 2022, when his rice fields had not turned their usual luxuriant green. “They were all brown,” he says. “It all looked like dry straw.””
“Sicily drought leads to withering oranges, cows going hungry.
“Marilina Barreca has two grim options: feed her cows tainted fodder or set them to graze on barren hillsides as Sicily battles a crop-devastating drought which is sucking reservoirs dry.”
https://dunyanews.tv/amp/english/794906.php
“Catalonia’s farmers demand more help over drought.
“”We’re now in a situation where we have a full-on drought,” says Xavier Oliva, an artichoke farmer who owns land just outside the city.
“”If it doesn’t rain you can’t plant anything.””
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68401814
“It’s simply unprecedented what AFRICA is living:
“Hundreds of records falling every day from North to South no stop. Today again GHANA and BENIN had their hottest February night in climatic history with Tmin of 30.5C at Tamale (also 29.8 Yendi) and 29.5C at Cotonou.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762783040630411576
“NATIONAL MONTHLY RECORD HEAT IN TOGO. Shortly after its hottest February night ever with a min. of 30.0C [86F],TOGO wasn’t satisfied and beat also the record of highest maximum for February with 43.0C at Sansanne Mango.
“It’s a month like no other: 214 Countries/territories broke heat records.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762995970164261284
“Nigerians warned of exhaustion, dehydration associated with heatwave…
“Mr Ameh said the extreme temperatures, amid the epileptic power supply, could trigger diseases, threaten livestock and even lead to death. The physician said the heatwave and scorching sun experienced by residents could also trigger severe dehydration and respiratory infections aside from high temperatures.”
https://gazettengr.com/nigerians-warned-of-exhaustion-dehydration-associated-with-heatwave/
“Locals from Nyakayojo, Mbarara City South Division in Mbarara City [Uganda] face starvation and financial crisis following a hailstorm that destroyed their crops and property worth millions.
“This disaster has caused panic among the residents and farmers who are scared of impending hunger. Those who were earning through farming also face financial stress.”
https://redpepper.co.ug/famine-looms-as-hailstorm-devastates-nyakayojo-mbarara/133961/
“Emergency declared in Gwadar after record-breaking rainfall [Pakistan]…
“The recent heavy rainfall in Balochistan’s Gwadar and Kech districts has triggered severe damages, disrupting normal life and traffic along the Coastal Highway. The downpour, exceeding 160mm [6.3 inches] in just 12 hours, overwhelmed the region’s infrastructure…”
https://www.nation.com.pk/28-Feb-2024/emergency-declared-in-gwadar-after-record-breaking-rainfall
“After so many Niños and record hot seasons, the February record high of the Sri Lanka executive capital Colombo of 36.2C [97.2F] had resisted since 23 February 1915.
“But nothing is spared to the madness currently going on, sweeping every record: after 109 years, today it fell.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762458580073005128
“Phuket MP issues fire warning as heatwave grips island.
“Somchart Techathavorncharoen, a Move Forward MP in Phuket, has issued a warning about the risk of fire during the current heatwave. Just looking at most of the hills around the island you can now see plenty of brown spots where there has been no proper rain for many months.”
https://aseannow.com/topic/1321083-phuket-mp-issues-fire-warning-as-heatwave-grips-island/
“Nearly every tropical country had its highest February TMIN this month. Today national records of High Minimums:
“28.6 MALDIVES; 28.2 VIETNAM; 27.9 SRI LANKA; Hottest February day; 36.4 Colombo SRI LANKA; 33.6 Male MALDIVES; 38.5 Phuket THAILAND; 37.8 Launglon MYANMAR.”
https://twitter.com/extremetemps/status/1762457182610641196
“Vietnam’s Mekong Delta ‘rice bowl’ cracks in monster February heatwave.
“Southern Vietnam’s hot weather peaks in April or May, with temperatures around 39 degrees Celsius, but February saw ‘abnormal’ highs of 38 degrees. More than 80 canals have dried up in one district of Ca Mau province, where agricultural production is entirely reliant on rainwater.”
“The record books have been smashed in Brisbane this morning, with the mercury failing to fall below 20 degrees Celsius for the 60th night in a row.
“Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior forecaster Pieter Claassen said New Year’s Eve was the last time the temperature had cooled to below 20C in the Queensland capital — when it dropped to 19.9.”
“Extreme weather events take enormous toll on Australia, State of Weather and Climate Extremes report shows…
““What was unusual about 2023 is how intense some of these events were and how they kept pushing records,” centre director Andy Pitman says. While it’s challenging to determine the cause of each extreme event, he says they seem to have occurred with increased frequency in 2023.”
“An 80-mph speed record for glacier fracture helps reveal the physics of ice sheet collapse [Antarctica]…
“The study, recently published in AGU Advances, shows that a 6.5-mile (10.5 kilometer) crack formed in 2012 on Pine Island Glacier—a retreating ice shelf that holds back the larger West Antarctic ice sheet—in about five and a half minutes. That means the rift opened at about 115 feet (35 meters) per second, or about 80 miles per hour.”
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-mph-glacier-fracture-reveal-physics.html
“Water scarcity threatens chipmakers like TSMC and could push prices higher, according to S&P…
“Semiconductor firms such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are at risk of water shortages as processing technology advances, S&P Global Ratings said in a report… The chip making industry is a thirsty one…”
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/climate-change-could-push-chip-prices-higher-heres-how.html
“Climate Change: The Great Equalizer Threatening Everyone’s Health…
“Other health impacts of climate change include, according to O’Brien, “obviously there is asthma, we had thunderstorm asthma here (in Australia), so people died who had never had asthma in their lives and didn’t know what was going on.””
“The False Promise of Carbon Capture as a Climate Solution…
“It is said that Mahatma Gandhi was once asked what he thought of Western civilization. He replied, “It would be a good idea.” The same could be said about carbon capture and storage as a solution to the climate crisis. Although it might be part of the solution down the road, right now it’s mostly a dangerous distraction.”
You can read the previous “Climate” thread here. I’ll be back tomorrow with an “Economic” thread.
If you found value in this content, please help me continue this work by becoming a patron of my work via Patreon. And if you are already a subscriber or have donated – thank you! It is an enormous help as the cost-of-living crisis ratchets up here in the UK.
This link is more entertaining than an episode of Cheers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEZ9HFlqzms
I must admit, I did enjoy it, in the way that you might enjoy seeing the heel getting hurled out of the ring in a wrestling match. But Sabine’s well warranted clarion call will go just as unheeded as Mann’s strategically watered down one, so in the end it’s just spectator sport.
The charity she is promoting looked worthwhile though.
I watched the video also and brought back memories of years ago exchanging comments back and forth with an Evan Jones, an associate of Willard Watts of Watts Up with That?
Denier blog. Climate Sensitive was one of the crutch in their reasoning that emissions were not a concern. Of course, Jones would always bring up a multiple of others to dismiss AGW,
such as, Cost/Benefit Analysis. Art Berman just pointed out how emissions have dramatically increased over the years since all the international climate conferences and agreements, along with trillions in green energy.
Thank you for the issue of climate news, Justin. I agree the organization in the video was doing good.
“I watched the video also and brought back memories of years ago exchanging comments back and forth with an Evan Jones, an associate of Willard Watts of Watts Up with That?”
Jeez, Vince, you must be a glutton for punishment. I also have a nice, brick wall you may want to bang your head against. 😂
The feigned surprise of scientists regarding the changes in the climate reminds me of the financial meltdown in 2008 when NYT’s Paula Krugman and Fed chairman Bernanke were claiming “No one could have seen it coming “, even though many internet stalwarts had been predicting it for years (such as Naked Capitalism).
Following JC’s MEOW, RR declared “Morning in America “ as he ripped the solar panels off the White House’s roof and, using DOD funds, as Ike had in the 50’s to build the Interstate Highway System, started the US hunt for oil around the globe in earnest.
Now if you look at both oil usage and CO2 accumulation, WW2 was the beginning of one spike that never abated, the next one ,even more dramatic, is the one that was sparked by America’s 80’s decade of greed.
It takes about 50 years for the world to see the effects of the additional CO2, which we saw at the turn of the century, it is now ~50 years since the Reagan/Bush push to dig up and incinerate very last hydrocarbon on the planet.
I’m neither a scientist nor an economist, but just as it didn’t take an economist to see what was in store -in 2006, we’ll before the actual event, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out what is in store for this decade.
And just as the NYT was printing Krugman’s garbage then, they’re printing this garbage now, but if you go to Sam Carana’s Arctic blog and read the list of his followers, it’s quite obvious that there are a slew of scientists who are quite aware of what is about to hit the proverbial fan. But the NYT has its narrative, and nothing gets printed that doesn’t conform to it.
It shames me to confess now how oblivious I was to that financial meltdown in 2008. I recall rolling my eyes at all the “boring” economic news, blissfully unaware of how close the system had come to breaking down:
“Gordon Brown discussed deploying troops on Britain’s streets as news of the 2008 financial crisis became clear, an ex-Labour spin doctor has claimed…
“Mr Brown is quoted as saying: “If the banks are shutting their doors, and the cash points aren’t working, and people go to Tesco and their cards aren’t being accepted, the whole thing will just explode.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24184728
“..nothing gets printed that doesn’t conform to it.” True that.
NYT & the rest of the MSM, but every once in awhile there’s someone who is no longer vulnerable to the punishments (canceling) of speaking the truth. Retired people often speak out. That combination of knowing you can’t be fired and you’ll die soon so ‘fuck it’.
In my experience, the biology people are the Doomiest. Probably because they understand how life works better than anyone else. What is computer lab geek Mike Mann’s understanding of life on earth? Heres a guy who says a few thousand Doomers are responsible for 8 billion humans using more fossil fuels every year. Yup, I feel so terrible about convincing the 8 billion to act as if they are incapable of slowing down and to act like they have been biologically programmed to use as much energy as their circumstances allow. I’m so sorry Mike. I should not have tricked them to stop using their invisible free will.
I’m with the late great Frank Fenner and his post semiretired prediction (2010) on what the consequences of Overshoot, overpopulation, environmental destruction and climate change, will be – 14 years later and he is right on track.
Humans will be extinct in 100 years says eminent scientist
“(PhysOrg.com) — Eminent Australian scientist Professor Frank Fenner, who helped to wipe out smallpox, predicts humans will probably be extinct within 100 years, because of overpopulation, environmental destruction and climate change.
Fenner, who is emeritus professor of microbiology at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, said homo sapiens will not be able to survive the population explosion and “unbridled consumption,” and will become extinct, perhaps within a century, along with many other species. United Nations official figures from last year estimate the human population is 6.8 billion, and is predicted to pass seven billion next year.
Fenner told The Australian he tries not to express his pessimism because people are trying to do something, but keep putting it off. He said he believes the situation is irreversible, and it is too late because the effects we have had on Earth since industrialization (a period now known to scientists unofficially as the Anthropocene) rivals any effects of ice ages or comet impacts.
Fenner said that climate change is only at its beginning, but is likely to be the cause of our extinction.”
“Fenner, 95, is the author or co-author of 22 books and 290 scientific papers and book chapters. His announcement in 1980 to the World Health Assembly that smallpox had been eradicated is still seen as one of the World Health Organisation’s greatest achievements. He has also been heavily involved in controlling Australia’s feral rabbit population with the myxomatosis virus.
Professor Fenner has had a lifetime interest in the environment, and from 1973 to 1979 was Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at ANU.”
https://phys.org/news/2010-06-humans-extinct-years-eminent-scientist.html
You’re right on scheduled, Frank. R.I.P.
Well i have been talking to people around my area and those who have tried to make insurance claims are getting denied or little compensation if any they are saying pre existing issues or faulty construction something like that. Another person thinks they are all bankrupt so good luck. Yeah its a nightmare without living in Florida or other areas. I keep wondering if they are covering up their insolvency too.
Record highs being set it winter across the N. Hemisphere, wonder how warm this summer will be in those same places? Will this be the last winter to ever need winter cloths? Think how much money one could save not buying winter clothes & of course money is more important than a livable habitat.
To those that say they hate the cold,wonder how much heat they can stand?
Nice shot of Mendenhall Glacier here in Juneau. In the summer months here the port is packed with behemoth cruise ships (they literally look like giant UFO’s that landed from outer space) and the skies are continuously buzzing with entire flocks of those sight-seeing helicopters.
On a side note, I’ve been browsing some “adaptation” documents for this area
Juneau climate report
https://juneau.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/juneau-climate-report.pdf
Tlingit & Haida CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN
https://www.ccthita.org/services/community/environmental/documents/T&HClimateChangeAdaptationPlan.pdf
Nothing remotely like Jem Bendell’s “Deep Adaptation”, the focus is on the changing marine environment out to the end of the century and no consideration for societal collapse and/or collapse of supply chains in the next 10 or 20 years.
Never mind the commandeered cruise ships full of desperate climate refugees trying to storm our port…
I never want to miss pointing out stupidity. All those that don’t like SCOTUS taking the presidential immunity case,need to STFU. The court can make whatever decisions it chooses. Anyone ever hear of the Constitution that established the Supreme Court & it’s powers. 9 can make any decision with a majority vote. Apparently monkey minds don’t understand the document they love until it’s rules affect them negatively. Lesson: Don’t run a candidate that can lose to a candidate that can stack the court. Consequences! A-Holes! How many are raising hell about SCOTUS & are ignorant or in denial about the devastation(cancelled homeowners insurance,etc.) that AGW can inflict? Blissfull ignorance is not a virtue & neither is bitching & moaning & doing nothing.
Everyone go behind the gym after school & watch me kick “spell checks” big old butt. 😉
Another retired biologist.
Wildlife biologist Neil Dawe says he wouldn’t be surprised if the generation after him witnesses the extinction of humanity
“…for 30 years as a biologist for the Canadian Wildlife Service, he sees the unravelling of “the web of life.” “It’s happening very quickly,” he says. Registered Professional Biologist Neil Dawe has written over 80 papers on birds, ecology and the environment. He received Environment Canada’s Regional Citation of Excellence Award for his work in co-founding and co-chairing the Brant Wildlife Festival. He received the Outstanding Service Award from the Federation of B.C. Naturalists and the Ian McTaggart-Cowan Award of Excellence in Biology from the Association of Professional Biologists of B.C. In 2006, he retired from the Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, after 31 years of managing National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries on Vancouver Island. He is President of the Qualicum Institute: http://www.qualicuminstitute.ca.”
“”Economic growth is the biggest destroyer of the ecology,” he says. “Those people who think you can have a growing economy and a healthy environment are wrong. “If we don’t reduce our numbers, nature will do it for us.” He isn’t hopeful humans will rise to the challenge and save themselves. “Everything is worse and we’re still doing the same things,” he says. “Because ecosystems are so resilient, they don’t exact immediate punishment on the stupid.”
https://www.farmlandbirds.net/content/wildlife-biologist-neil-dawe-says-he-wouldnt-be-surprised-if-generation-after-him-witnesses-
I love that last quote…………………. “Because ecosystems are so resilient, they don’t exact immediate punishment on the stupid.”
That describes the humans perfectly.
These were brilliant synopses. Dr. Scanlon, the Famous Dr. Scanlon, these were amazing finds.
Predicament named, culprit identified, prognosis confirmed = human extinction. Who can argue against these lifelong ecosystem scientists?
Of course, duty remains to stay upright in the rat race even at the end of life, as Mr. Fenner delivers his headlining speech at the “Healthy Planet” symposium. Um, about that “Healthy Planet” thing – not so much. Thank you all for coming. Goodbye.
Dr. Scanlon, the Famous Dr. Scanlon, – “respeck,” as Da Ali G. would say. You win.
On that note, Heather, it’s good to remember that the 2008 crisis was one of insurance: AIG and the mono lines collecting premiums hand over fist with nary a a nickel put aside to pay claims they figured could never materialize . Fraud. On a grand international scale. Yet nothing changed … no one went to jail. That’s a big bold sign spelling out that it was just “business as usual “.
Even as the world has enmeshed itself in a WorldWideWeb or techno-trap, it completely disregards every aspect of the worldwide web of life. Guess which one’ll prevail?