Very many thanks to this month’s kind sponsor, John Bee, who wishes me to exhort, “Go Steelers!”
“130-Year Record Broken: Mount Fuji Bare Again After Fleeting Snow.
“The volcano’s first snow of the season fell in early November 2024—the latest in a 130-year record—only to apparently vanish within a few days… the unprecedented delay follows a summer of record-high temperatures across Japan, including an unusually warm fall…”
https://scitechdaily.com/130-year-record-broken-mount-fuji-bare-again-after-fleeting-snow/
“Disaster-hit Noto still struggling to recover two months after torrential rain…
“The record rainfall on September 21 claimed the lives of 15 people in Ishikawa Prefecture. Officials confirmed that the number of inundated or damaged houses rose to 2,168 as of Tuesday. In the cities of Wajima and Suzu, a total of 367 residents continue to live in shelters.”
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241121_06/
“Storm Barrage Threatens Philippine Growth After Crops Flattened.
“Six powerful storms late in the season that ravaged crops and drenched vast areas of the Philippines have put the nation on track for record rice imports and raised concerns over elevated food inflation.”
“HISTORIC HEAT IN INDONESIA – 36.9C [98.4F] today at Sabu Island. HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY FOR SABU ISLAND.
“Indonesia has been breaking record for over 18 months, every single day.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1858873371158606180
“Charleville [Queensland] gets 68.2mm in an hour in intense downpour.
“The total is more than the mean rainfall for the entire month of November in Charleville, 44.7mm… Lesdale, a property about 28 kilometres out of Charleville, recorded 153 mm in the space of two hours.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-20/intense-rainfall-charleville-flooding/104626796
“South-eastern Australia will endure its first big heatwave of the season in the coming days, elevating fire risks and potentially straining the power grid in some states.
“Dean Narramore, a senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, said day and night temperatures would be as much as 8-14C hotter than usual for this time of year.”
“Where Glaciers Melt, the Rivers Run Red.
“As the glaciers of South America retreat, the supply of freshwater is dwindling and its quality is getting worse. Peru’s… glaciers have shrunk by more than 40 percent since 1968, uncovering rocks that, when exposed to the elements, can trigger chemical reactions that leach toxic metals into the water and turn it acidic.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/science/peru-glaciers-water-pollution.html
“Blackouts, explosions, deaths: why the Caribbean is waking up to the increased threat of lightning…
“The Caribbean has experienced an increase in damaging lightning strikes over the past two decades, says Laing, who oversees the Severe Weather Forecasting Programme in the Caribbean in partnership with Météo-France in Martinique.”
“HISTORIC HOT NIGHTS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO & CARIBBEAN: BELIZE Min 28.7C [83.7F] HOTTEST NOVEMBER NIGHT IN CENTRAL AMERICA HISTORY.
“CURACAO min 28C RECORD HOTTEST NOVEMBER NIGHT; MEXICO Min. 27.9C Chetumal, 5.4 Merida Nov. records… November high temperature record: 37.6C in the Airport of Campeche in MEXICO.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1858930699124043851
“2024’s record ocean heat revved up Atlantic hurricane wind speeds: study.
“Human-driven warming of ocean temperatures increased the maximum wind speeds of every Atlantic hurricane in 2024, according to a new analysis released Wednesday, highlighting how climate change is amplifying the destructive power of storms.”
“New threat emerges as atmospheric river combines with once-in-a-decade bomb cyclone on the West Coast…
““Life-threatening flooding across coastal Northwest California is expected due to the very strong and long duration atmospheric river,” the center warned. “Dangerous flooding, rock slides, and debris flows are likely.””
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/weather/bomb-cylone-west-coast-washington-climate/index.html
“I am growing increasingly concerned about a major flooding situation in northeastern Butte County, near Oroville and Chico.
“Our highest resolution models are simulating 20+ inches of rain through 4 p.m. Friday. We are headed there tomorrow to assess the situation.”
https://x.com/edwardsanthonyb/status/1859475745699135729
“Is the Northeast Entering Its Wildfire Era?
“…Sudden and extreme shifts from wet to dry seasons, which will become increasingly common as the world heats up, experts said, feed a cycle of vegetation growth that then dries out rapidly, providing ample fuel for fires.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/20/nyregion/new-york-wildfires-drought.html
“Lake Erie incredibly warm for this time of year, shattering record…
“Lake Erie’s average surface water temperature on Sunday, Nov. 17, was 57.1 degrees. It is incredible that a Great Lake has almost a 60-degree water temperature in mid-November.”
“Lake Ontario at record warm levels, surpassing eight years ago…
“Lake Ontario is like Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie with record warm surface water temperatures… Lake Ontario isn’t just warmer than average now. The lake has spent most of 2024 warmer than normal.”
“Canada imports US electricity as droughts curb hydropower…
“…surging power demand linked to digitisation and the reshoring of manufacturing has collided with reduced electricity supply because of drought, complicating Canada’s energy transition and its trade relationship with its powerful neighbour.”
https://www.ft.com/content/fd1c8647-12fa-49af-904d-d85570b985c7
“‘My legs were getting smashed in. My face was burning’… This is climate breakdown.
“Olivia Dene is a member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation… In 2023, she was caught up in the massive evacuation when the Wood Buffalo Complex fire broke out, burning more than 500,000 hectares in and around the national park. Across Canada, the 2023 wildfire season was unprecedented in its scale and intensity.”
“‘The land is tearing itself apart’: life on a collapsing Arctic isle.
“…on a late July afternoon, a team of Canadian scientists dived into the Beaufort Sea, bobbing and splashing in a sheltered bay for nearly two hours. Later, as they lay sprawled on a beach, huge chunks of the island they were studying slid into the ocean.”
“Weatherwatch: Fewer birds migrating to UK in winter due to ‘short-stopping’…
“Even if they do migrate, many are travelling shorter distances than before: stopping off in the Baltic states or the low countries, where again the late autumn and winter weather is far milder than it used to be.”
“‘Bluebottle’ jellyfish: Is climate change bringing them to Britain?
“According to the results of the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Wildlife Sighting report – released to coincide with World Jellyfish Day earlier this month – citizen scientists participating in the survey have recorded a 16% increase in Portuguese man o’ war sightings on the year prior.”
“Spain floods: Gruelling cleanup in town still haunted by the ghosts of deadly floods.
“Catarroja in Valencia province was ravaged by deadly floods which hit Spain at the end of October. Volunteers are helping with the “horrible” and “difficult” cleanup after basements were submerged in filthy water.”
“Kefalonia: Argostoli streets turn to rivers [Greece].
“After an hour of heavy rain, streets in the center were flooded – Water was even coming out of the wells… athletes were trapped under the stands of the “Andreas Vergotis” stadium as it was impossible to leave…”
“Two forest fire outbreaks in Tenerife: Emergency services mobilised.
“Both fires are affecting pine forest regions, with one located in the Tágara pine grove and the other below Montaña Teresme. The rugged terrain is complicating firefighting efforts.”
“Record heat again in the Cameroonese port of Douala.
“With a max. temperature of 35.3C [95.5F] yesterday, it beats its November heat record which was set just few days ago with 35.2C.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1859210858234261667
“Update on SOUTH AFRICA Heat wave:
“Records of highest minimum temperatures broken today, list [on link] courtesy of ZA Meteorological Service. Note how some records were broken with huge margins up to 3C/4C,this shows how exceptional it was.”
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/1859308507524473008
“Madagascar’s huge ocean algae bloom was caused by dust from drought-stricken southern Africa…
“It is difficult to say exactly how many phytoplankton cells made up the bloom. However, this bloom off the Madagascar coast covered an estimated 2,000km².”
“Kenya’s Maasai Face Deepening Water Crisis.
“…due to low rainfall, high temperatures and population pressure, the Maasai people in the Mara find themselves confronting a new challenge: finding clean water.”
“Israel sets a new all-time rainfall record in just 4 hours.
“A historic 196 mm (7.72 inches) of rain fell in Zikhron Ya’akov on Tuesday morning, November 19, 2024, marking Israel’s heaviest downpour on record and triggering widespread floods across the country.”
https://watchers.news/2024/11/20/israel-sets-a-new-all-time-rainfall-record-in-just-4-hours/
“Turkish strikes in Syria cut water to one million people…
“The attacks have added to the humanitarian crisis in a region reeling from a years-long civil war and four years of extreme drought exacerbated by climate change. Water had already been scarce, but attacks on electricity infrastructure in October last year shut off power to the region’s main water station…”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c79zj7rz3l4o
“Study raises concerns about the climate change and global conflict crises…
“The researchers revealed that climate-induced stress is already exacerbating existing socio-political tensions, often leading to the outbreak or escalation of conflicts.”
https://phys.org/news/2024-11-climate-global-conflict-crises.html
“Water scarcity haunting Hour al-Azim wetlands [Iran]…
“Due to insufficient rainfall and recent droughts, now about two million hectares out of the three million hectares area of the country’s wetlands are dry and turned into sand and dust spots.”
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/506527/Water-scarcity-haunting-Hour-al-Azim
“Cloudburst in Ramanathapuram triggers torrential rainfall, red alert issued…
“The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Chennai confirmed the extreme weather event, with Pamban weather station recording a staggering 28 cm of rainfall by 5.30 pm, including 10 cm in a single hour from 1 pm to 2 pm.”
“A global overview of marine heatwaves in a changing climate.
“In recent decades, episodes of warm ocean temperature extremes have been associated with more intense and frequent impacts on marine organisms, ecosystems and reliant human industries around the world”.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01806-9
“Climate change charts a dangerous course for the world’s largest fish…
“Warmer oceans are putting two giants of the sea on a collision course. Even at the size of a school bus, whale sharks — the world’s largest fish — are no match for cargo ships in busy shipping lanes: When the two collide, the sharks always lose.”
“The climate and biodiversity crises are entwined, but we risk pitting one against the other…
“…the biodiversity summit exposed troubling gaps between climate and biodiversity policy. For instance, key language addressing the need to transition away from fossil fuels and warning about the dangers of bioenergy was deleted from the summit’s final text.”
“Climate change is spoiling food faster, making hundreds of millions of people sick around the world…
“Extreme heat can hasten food spoilage by allowing bacteria to multiply faster, experts say. Rising waters from severe floods can contaminate crops with sewage or other unwanted waste products, while higher humidity can promote growth of salmonella bacteria…”
“Vatican in row at climate talks over gender rights…
“The Vatican has blocked discussions over women’s rights at the UN climate summit following a row over gay and transgender issues… Pope Francis’ representatives have aligned with Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Egypt to obstruct a deal…”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxvpl5zw19o
“Cop29 climate finance deal hits fresh setback as deadline looms…
“Faith in the ability of the Azerbaijan presidency to produce a deal ebbed on Thursday morning, as the draft texts were criticised as inadequate and providing no “landing ground” for a compromise.”
“Australia and Turkey in standoff to be host of crucial 2026 climate talks.
“Australia is locked in a standoff with Turkey over which will host vital UN climate talks in 2026, where the question of whether the world can limit global heating in line with scientific advice is likely to be decided.”
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… COP29 … COP30 … COP31
“Australia is locked in a standoff with Turkey over which will host vital UN climate talks in 2026, where the question of whether the world can limit global heating in line with scientific advice is likely to be decided.”
If they haven’t heeded any advice in 30 meetings, I doubt number 31 is going to be any different. Looks like they’re more concerned with local economic benefits than any action that comes from the meeting.
What is the COP?
The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.
More Background on the COP
A key task for the COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties. Based on this information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.
The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session. Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions – that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.
We’ve had a group of influential climate policy experts writing to the UN, saying that COPs are no longer fit for purpose. And Lula has announced that COP30 in Brazil is absolutely our last chance “to avoid an irreversible rupture in the climate system”, so I wonder if we will keep seeing these annual absurdities.
That may be naive of me though, Edward. You may be correct in saying that they will just roll on because they generate too much money now.
https://www.g20.org/en/news/cop30-will-be-our-last-chance-to-avoid-an-irreversible-rupture-in-the-climate-system-calls-lula-at-the-final-thematic-session-of-the-g20-brasil-leaders-summit
I know there are all kinds of people in the world but when humans are at this point we are toast.
“Duct-taped banana artwork sells for $6.2m in NYC”
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy87202v43no
Sorry for the off topic comment but it’s just to point out that climate change isn’t a leading issue among enough people of the world. We come here and see all the news compiled in one place but globally the awareness is virtually nil. Sure, regional people affected by climate change in many of these articles are aware, but overall, globally, people aren’t paying attention. How many recent elections have had climate change as a leading issue?
“overall, globally, people aren’t paying attention.” I agree 100%. Left, right no difference. Some say it’s a hoax, other say we can solve it. They’re all wrong, and as you say they’re not focused on it. Optimism bias is real.
And I agree about the banana art. Good grief. We are toast in so many ways.
Edward, I remember back in the day with cable TV and the pundits scoffed at the idea of an exclusive Golf Channel. What, just for Golf; you all must be out of your minds! Well, co-founder Arnold Palmer on January 17, 1995 first went on the air and proved them wrong. Shows our cultural priorities and Justin’s articles haunts us with them; pointing to the Vatican upset about “gender issues” as one example.
Now, could you picture Pano here establishing a Cable channel along the same lines of his website? If so, he mentioned the other day without China the world would be in an economic Depression. Well, I feel the same if he aired these to those that had access.
Even oil man, Art Berman, in a video chuckled at the COP so called agreements. Plain to see the lack of results and upward trends.
Like a co-worker of mine decades ago confided in a conversion, “Don’t see it happening, because can’t make money without them (fossil fuels).
That sums it up, at least for myself, our monetary system of debt based fiat currency has us trapped with those on top of the food chain will continue to extend and pretend until the bitter end.
I wish I realized this long while ago, because like some here it caused unpleasant life experiences. Well, that’s spilled milk under the bridge, as Jeremy Irons said in the movie, Margin Call….some very educational dialogue in that screenplay.
Vince, I need to check out that movie. I thought “The Great Short” was a terrific watch. This sounds in similar vein, if perhaps more sombre in tone.
Edward, the chap who has bought this exquisite masterpiece is dodgy-sounding cryptocurrency entrepreneur, Justin Sun, currently accused of fraud by the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Expensive art is notoriously a conduit for money-laundering, so I am wondering if his motives were purely aesthetic.
Re climate change awareness, I think it must partly boil down to most people simply lacking the time to do the research it takes to properly understand how dire the situation is. And, Kali, as you say, good old optimism bias means that worrying stories in the news can be rationalised away.
There’s this pesky item about some whizbang Spanish Inquisition holdover entity called “the Holy See” having the socio-political power to obstruct the all-important, life-or-death COP29 climate summit over “transgender rights.”
Whatever happened to a “universal” definition of “woman” that all parties can use? Isn’t this “absurd’? Just go with the voluntary celibates ass-clowns from the tiny nutojob principality of no contraception, and wonderful geniuses like Marsha Blackburn and alleged PTSD sufferer Nancy Mace, and stop all consideration of “gender”? Don’t read of word of what extremely centrist publication USA Today said about his alleged kerfuffle about Ketanji Brown-Jackson’s sensible answer:
“Scientists, gender law scholars and philosophers of biology said Jackson’s response was commendable, though perhaps misleading,” wrote USA Today. “It’s useful, they say, that Jackson suggested science could help answer Blackburn’s question, but they note that a competent biologist would not be able to offer a definitive answer either. Scientists agree there is no sufficient way to clearly define what makes someone a woman, and with billions of women on the planet, there is much variation.”
Nah, let’s go with Dumb & Dumber. That’s what’s in power now. All over the goddam world.
Martin, the issue of transgender rights issue is obviously a hot button one for you, whilst it is really not in my purview, so I will refrain from engaging further on that.
I did like your pithy dismissal of the Vatican, though. As someone who went through Catholic boarding school, it hasn’t always been my favourite organisation.
Well, I just thought it curious to see you highlight that issue today…
No, I was stationed as a child in a standard homophobic Roman Catholic household, have learned the errors of those ways long ago, and was put off when really smart folks I’ve seen eye-to-eye with on so many huge topics went southwards on this one topic.
But of course I’ll let it go from now on – too much other nonsense a’happenin’ everywhere, and I don’t want to get screechy on anything. Fact is, I’ve found myself having less and less to want to say about anything, on account of how goshdarn stupid everything is, and how little even the opposition to stupidity has in the way of even theoretical institutional power. Revenge of the Dummies.
About the only thing I can hope for, besides dead and parched and defunct golf courses, is that the shit gets so bad that something else besides corporate militarism is served. Like when, a couple of decades ago, and this is so incredibly, incredibly hard to believe – the US and A economy was faltering , and TV execs at Fox mentioned they might have to do some cost-cutting that involved doing away with the imaginary yellow-line ten yard marker for first downs on televised football games.
Yes, I know, that could never, never have happened. Imagine the hue and cry if this were even contemplated in the coming dystopia? No imaginary yellow line on TV contests brought to you, the vengeful voter, because there just isn’t anymore the hundreds of thousands of dollars per game for the technology?
“Well, I just thought it curious to see you highlight that issue today…”
COP29 is moving further and further away from actually addressing the nuts and bolts of emissions, in what to me looks like a tacit admission of impotence there, and focusing more on related issues like mitigation, finance and social justice. Even in these areas it is getting hopelessly bogged down.
If there was a point I was making, it was only that.
On the finance, we are nearly down to brass tacks. Poor nations want $1 trillion from wealthy nations. The problem is, though, that wealthy nations aren’t really wealthy anymore, so their best offer is $300 billion.
“In comments that are likely to disappoint poorer countries at the Cop29 summit, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and twice a UN climate envoy, said rich country budgets were stretched amid inflation, Covid and conflicts including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“…you can’t squeeze what isn’t squeezable,” she told the Guardian in an interview.”
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/21/poor-nations-climate-cash-ex-un-envoy-mary-robinson-cop29
COP PR: confabulations of people who prosper on a planet of penury and popery.
https://www.desmog.com/
That green gravy train is one sweet ride. You get to make bank and feel really good about yourself at the same time.
https://www.king5.com/article/weather/weather-impact/utility-companies-brace-more-power-outages-storm-bomb-cyclone/281-1918e5d6-5fd1-4826-9b5f-7d4c7970bf73
Meanwhile on the west coast i have been dealing with this insane storm!
Heather, right – that is very much in your neck of the woods! I hope your power supply has held out.