Huge thanks to my sponsor for July, who has asked me to promote the excellent Environmental Coffeehouse YouTube channel. For the uninitiated, the channel covers climate, conservation, pollution, biodiversity, sustainability, and the intersection of environment, society, and policy
“The deep ocean is changing our climate far faster than we realised.
“Deep below the ocean’s surface, turbulent swirls of water – invisible to the naked eye and no bigger than a coin – are driving some of the most consequential forces in our climate system; and they are doing so far faster than science previously understood.”
“Well, another record to historic shattering westerly wind burst is looking very likely next week with never-ending westerly wind burst activity through now until early August.
“This will act to reinforce El Niño, which is already nearing very strong levels. On top of that, SST anomalies off the coast of Paru are reaching near 7-8.5 C above average. I’m now fully confident this El Niño will break all-time records by Fall & Winter 2026-2027.” [David Schlotthauer]
https://x.com/Weatherunited1/status/2077895697010184407
“HISTORIC HEAT WAVE IN NORWAY:
“Dozens of all time or monthly records were smashed again today (nearly 100 since yesterday) with another 34C day (and another one tomorrow in Sweden). Temperatures up to 30C [86F] at 800m asl, a record for Scandinavia!” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2077817058771849509
“Cairngorms wildfire is ‘not contained’ and still burning hard, residents warn [Scotland].
“A devastating wildfire that has been ablaze for three days in the Cairngorms is still “burning hard”, residents have warned. Community leaders criticised the Scottish government for describing the incident as “contained”, despite flames spreading further through the national park.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3v0kpderp9o
“Firefighters into the seventh day of tackling a “vast” moorland wildfire have admitted they cannot say when the blaze in Greater Manchester will be put out.
“More than 100 firefighters and volunteers are fighting the fire on two fronts at Dovestone and Swineshaw.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckge9d2ky2ko
“North Sea hits record 20.4°C [68.7F] amid marine heat wave.
“The North Sea hit an exceptional temperature on Wednesday morning. Seawater reached 20.4 degrees Celsius at 8 a.m. at a KNMI measurement station off the South Holland coast, setting a record for this time of year. The sea has been under a heat wave since May 24.”
https://nltimes.nl/2026/07/17/north-sea-hits-record-204degc-amid-marine-heat-wave
“In hot water: what happens to marine life during heatwaves…
“Aside from obvious negative consequences for people, such as more drownings in open water, marine heatwaves can affect sea life of all sizes, from microscopic plankton to huge whales.”
https://theconversation.com/in-hot-water-what-happens-to-marine-life-during-heatwaves-287300
“A supercell tornado has flipped two lorries in France while deadly storms are lashing Germany, causing several fatalities as freak wildfires rage across Europe.
“Strong winds and particularly violent hailstorms struck the Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with a tornado causing havoc to the north.”
“Food prices are set to rise again [Europe] and this summer’s extreme heat is a big part of the reason why.
“…economists say this summer’s extreme heat is now a bigger threat to next year’s supermarket prices than the recent Iran war, as damaged harvests could outweigh the fading impact of higher oil and fertiliser costs.”
“The European Union has unveiled proposals that would slow cuts to businesses’ greenhouse gas emissions limits, as part of a major climate policy overhaul.
“The reforms would relax the rules of the bloc’s emissions trading system (ETS) to give businesses more time to reduce their carbon output than previously planned.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgv0zd497zo
“EU set to delay fines for breaking methane rules after US pressure.
“The EU is set to recommend a three-year delay on penalties for energy importers that do not comply with the bloc’s new methane emissions rules, after fierce lobbying from the US and member states that raised fears about gas supply risks.”
https://www.ft.com/content/e121d6ad-6d5f-4895-bacf-aff56d5a2eeb?syn-25a6b1a6=1
“Drones, AI and white paint: Europe races to protect infrastructure from heat.
“European governments and transport operators are deploying AI, drones, white paint and heat-resistant materials to protect roads, railways and airports from extreme heat. The measures reflect how climate change is exposing the limits of infrastructure built for a cooler continent.”
“EXTRAORDINARY: 38c [100.4F] AT DAWN IN SPAIN
“Insane temperatures of 35/38C from midnight to dawn in various parts of Eastern Spain with strong ponent wind. In the meanwhile the cold Foronda in the Basque Region has a min of 20.4C, first Min >20C in July.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2077772255501627695
“Spain’s largest wildfire of the year burns 12,000 hectares in Zaragoza.
“The Cinco Villas wildfire in Zaragoza has burned 12,000 hectares and forced the evacuation of six villages. Guadalajara and Madrid are battling two other wildfires, with more than 2,000 people ordered to remain indoors.”
“Violent storms in the north have claimed one life, whilst the south is facing record heatwaves [Italy].
“Thunderstorms in the Triveneto region; severe storms in Emilia-Romagna with wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h and in Lombardy, where a tornado struck the Bergamo area; sunshine and extreme temperatures in the rest of Italia.”
“Bus heat causes passengers to feel ill [Sardinia; Cagliari broke its all-time heat record with 45.2 / 113.4F].
” We are calling for an extraordinary check of all air conditioning systems on the electric vehicles in the Quartu fleet (but, obviously, also in Cagliari), and the immediate recall of any vehicle with faulty or inefficient air conditioning systems.”
“The Mediterranean Heatwave Continues to Shatter Records
“Several cities in Algeria and Tunisia recorded new all-time high temperatures, eg Algeria: 49.1° [120.4F] Bou Saâda – Highest temperature ever recorded; 48.1° Tizi Ouzou – Highest temperature ever recorded.” [Arab Storms]
https://x.com/Arab_Storms/status/2077844198573932683
“Algeria battles intense wildfires amid heatwave.
“Forest fires are a common sight in summer in northern Algeria but the phenomenon is exacerbated by droughts and heatwaves, linked to human-driven climate change… On Wednesday, local media reported the death of a 59-year-old municipal worker who was taking part in firefighting operations.”
https://www.africanews.com/2026/07/17/algeria-battles-intense-wildfires-amid-heatwave/
“The vanishing forests on Liberia’s cocoa frontier.
“…plantation land is cleared by pouring gasoline on the base of native trees and setting their roots on fire so they wither and die. This is the method that migrant cacao workers from nearby Côte d’Ivoire have brought into Kwa.”
https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/the-vanishing-forests-on-liberias-cocoa-frontier/amp/
“Combination of locusts and water shortage devastate Mudug farmers.
“Farmers in Hero-Dhagahley village in Somalia’s central Mudug region have been devastated by a deadly combination of locusts and water shortage that has ruined their crops, vegetables and fruit that were close to harvest.”
“Sudan blames “temporary” Nile drop on Ethiopian dam cuts…
“Ethiopia completed construction of the GERD in July 2025 despite long-standing objections from Sudan and Egypt over unilateral moves. Both downstream nations continue to demand a legally binding agreement on the dam’s filling and operation to secure their water shares.”
https://sudantribune.com/article/316346
“Iranian strike damages a Kuwait desalination plant, exposing water vulnerability in dry Mideast.
“It’s the latest attack on essential infrastructure across the Middle East that have exposed extreme vulnerabilities in one of the world’s driest regions, which relies almost exclusively on technology to produce freshwater that sustains cities, hotels, industry and some agriculture.”
“Drained Under Soviet Rule, Aral Sea Has Become a Huge Source of Emissions.
“The Aral Sea sits between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and was once the fourth-largest inland body of water on Earth. For the past 60 years, though, humans have bled it nearly dry irrigating cotton crops, leaving behind a salty plain the size of Ireland.”
https://e360.yale.edu/digest/aral-sea-emissions
“HISTORIC HEAT IN CENTRAL ASIA:
“UZBEKISTAN: 48.7 [120F] Buzaubaj, Uchkuduk Min 34.1, Max. 47.3! 43.7 Jang Jer KYRGYZSTAN HOTTEST DAY IN HISTORY, 40.1 Talas 1200m asl: KAZAKHSTAN: 46.6 Arys, 43.4 Bakanas, 46C at 51 latitude and Min 28.5 Balhash 47N! 47.8 TURKMENISTAN; 45 TAJIKISTAN.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2078154764320129063
“Climate Change: Dengue And Flu Are No Longer Just Seasonal Threats In India…
“The link between climate change and infectious diseases is becoming harder to ignore. Rising temperatures help mosquitoes survive longer and reproduce faster, while erratic rainfall and prolonged wet periods create ideal breeding conditions.”
“India’s Weak Monsoon Revives Push for This Ancient Food Staple.
“When India’s monsoon made a weak start last month, Malleshappa Chatham took a calculated gamble. The veteran farmer set aside an acre of his smallholding for millet — an ancient grain prized for its resilience that’s enjoying a newfound popularity with health-conscious consumers.”
“Heavy Rainfall Causes Flooding in Kathmandu.
“Due to heavy rainfall for some time in the federal capital Kathmandu, various roads and intersections have been submerged. Due to the inability of water to drain from the roads due to rain, water has accumulated in places like ponds.”
https://english.ratopati.com/story/70538/home-flooded-after-rain-photos
“EXTRAORDINARY HEAT IN CHINA & MONGOLIA:
“More Monthly records: 42.1 [107.8F] Tongnan, 42.8 Quxian, 41.5 Xichong, 41.4 Zigong, 40.9 Suining, 40.7 Lezhi, 40.3 Zizhong, 40.1 Luxian, 39.7 Pengxi, 39.9 Nanbu, 37.5 Yilong. MINIMUM 33.5C Chongqing – July record. INSANE MINIMUM 29.3 EkhiIngol MONGOLIA.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2077756128826405252
“Following continuous torrential rains in the Changbai Mountains [NE China], the Mudanjiang River basin experienced its largest recorded flood, with some areas in Ning’an County submerged.”
[Jim Yang]
https://x.com/yangyubin1998/status/2077763200238686684
“Chongqing landslide kills 8, leaves 34 missing as rain hampers rescue [central China].
“Rescue teams are searching for survivors after a landslide in Chongqing’s Pengshui County killed eight people and left 34 missing. Persistent rain, unstable boulders and buried homes have made the operation slow and dangerous.”
“JAPAN ENDLESS RECORD HEAT:
“Another avalanche of records of July hottest nights including the historic all time High minimums of Miyazaki (min 28.3C / 82.9F) and Otawara (25.4C). 35 records have fallen in few days.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2077873445530898760
“Deadly flash floods wreak havoc in northern Vietnam as heavy rain threat persists.
“Flash floods striking early Friday morning left a trail of widespread destruction across Lai Chau and Son La provinces. The disaster has claimed at least one life, with five other people currently reported missing.”
“Torrential rain in Seoul triggers flood warnings, road closures as heavy downpours hit Korea…
“The downpour that began Friday brought significant rainfall across the province. As of 7 a.m. Saturday, cumulative precipitation reached 160 millimeters in Gimpo, 155 millimeters in Paju, 149 millimeters in Yangju and 147 millimeters in Dongducheon.”
“Winter mildness in AUSTRALIA with records broken and re-broken.
“Even a cold mountain like Mount Baw Baw in Victoria, which is usually snow capped, rose to +11.3C [52.3F], a new record for July.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2078333389438894510
“Australia shark bites rise as heavy rain, murky water, and warmer seas bring sharks closer to shore…
“In Australia, extreme rainfall, worsened by rising global temperatures, may be one important driver. After Sydney’s record January downpour, Scientific American said the deluge “flushed sewage and other waste into the nearby coastal waters, attracting baitfish, which in turn lured sharks closer to shore.””
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/australia-shark-bites-rise-heavy-091400363.html
“Torrential Rains and Widespread Floods Leave 3 Dead and Thousands Without Power in Chile.
“President José Antonio Kast visits hardest-hit regions as emergency teams brace for unprecedented seasonal rainfall levels… rising floodwaters inundated primary roadways, severely paralyzing regional transportation and complicating ongoing search and rescue efforts.”
“40 [104F] DEGREES IN ARGENTINA WINTER!
“As announced, an extreme meteorological event in South America is happening: deluge in Chile west of the Andes and brutal summer heat in the other side… crazy MINIMUMS – HOTTEST JULY NIGHT IN HISTORY IN ARGENTINA and URUGUAY. [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2078241826620756415
“End of soy moratorium could add 1.4m hectares to Amazon deforestation.
“The researchers argue that ending the moratorium could fuel land speculation across the Amazon. They identified 9.1 million hectares of forest on private land highly suitable for soy that could legally be cleared, plus another 28.7 million hectares of public forest that could become speculation targets.”
“Illegal mining advances in the Amazon and corners park rangers in Ecuador.
“What was once territory guarded by park rangers has turned into a battleground for control of illegal gold mining. Monitoring patrols, conservation work, and species recording are no longer routine. Today, those who guard protected areas face threats, encounters with armed men, and the presence of criminal organizations…”
“More records in COLOMBIA:
“39.8C [103.6F] Armero – hottest July day in history; 38.6C at Santa Marta also hottest July day.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2078177381156577698
“EXCEPTIONAL HEAT IN CENTRAL AMERICA:
“Record heat keeps sweeping the whole of Central America every single day since the beginning of 2026. Records for July smashed all over Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama including 37.0C [98.6F] Managua and 37.1C David.” [Extreme Temps]
https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2078354781165191544
“Puerto Rico announces emergency water rationing as drought worsens.
“Puerto Rico announced water rationing measures on Thursday as a drought grips the U.S. territory, worsening chronic water shortages that have forced the governor to declare a state of emergency.”
“Latest Precipitation Models Still Seem to Underestimate Risk as ‘1,000-Year’ Rain Events Pummel Texas.
“Last week, days of torrential downpours created the region’s second major flooding disaster in as many years. Four-day rainfall totals in the towns of Uvalde and Sabinal set records and ranked in federal models as 1,000-year rain events…”
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17072026/texas-precipitation-models-underestimate-risk/
“At least 2 dead in catastrophic flooding in Texas Hill Country.
“Parts of Texas Hill Country received over 2 feet of rain – around a year’s worth – in just a few days, prompting several flash flood emergencies. At least two people died and there were more than 230 water rescues, officials said.”
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/16/weather/live-news/texas-flash-flooding-camp-mystic-climate
“The Colorado River’s 2 biggest reservoirs just hit a new record low.
“Lake Powell and Lake Mead hit a grim milestone this week. The combined storage in the nation’s two largest reservoirs has dropped to a level not seen since 1956… “It is humbling and potentially disturbing to think about…” said Schmidt, the director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.”
https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/07/17/combined-storage-lake-powell-lake/
“California’s water wars get a new invader…
“Water agencies in the agriculture-heavy San Joaquin Valley fear the bill could require them to accept water-carrying golden mussels into facilities that have not yet been infested, then leave them responsible for preventing damage and paying for repairs.”
“The wildfire situation across North America just got worse.
“Tens of thousands of lightning strikes across the Pacific Northwest has ignited dozens of new wildfires across Oregon and Washington.” [Colin McCarthy]
https://x.com/US_Stormwatch/status/2077889951493210237
“A Record-Warm Winter and Summer Heatwave Are Stoking Montana’s Wildfire Risk…
“Instead of a simple progression from the cold temperatures and moisture of winter to drier, warmer seasons, scientists say the state’s fire risk is now shaped by the erratic interactions of record-warm winters, shrinking snowpack, spring rainfall, prolonged heat and the timing of summer thunderstorms.”
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17072026/montana-wildfire-risk-after-warm-winter-and-summer-heat/
“Flash flooding in Cincinnati leads to 40 water rescues, road closures…
“During the heavy rainfall July 17, Oakley, Madisonville, Mount Lookout, Hyde Park and Pleasant Ridge neighborhoods were hit hard. McKinley asked residents in those areas to stay indoors.”
“[Due to wildfire smoke] Detroit, Chicago, D.C. and New York are the four most polluted major cities in the world early Friday.”
[Ben Noll]
https://x.com/BenNollWeather/status/2078124746047357235
“Trump threatens Canada with higher tariffs over wildfire smoke pollution…
“”This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars,” Trump said on Truth Social on Friday, adding that the “cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.””
https://www.trtworld.com/article/5b530bc43a72
“Ontario Wildfires Burn On, and New Ones Spring Up.
“Premier Doug Ford of Ontario said that there were 191 active fires across the province on Friday and that 81 of them were not under control. Mr. Ford responded sharply to criticisms of his province’s handling of the fires by Republican politicians in Michigan and Ohio…”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/weather/ontario-wildfires-smoke.html
“In the Canadian Arctic, an experiment aims to stabilize thinning sea ice…
“For now, work has been limited to a 1-square-kilometer (0.4-square-mile) test site, with thickening attempted on only about a quarter of that area. At the beginning of the 2026 melt season at the end of May, the sea ice was 50 centimeters (20 inches) thicker than the untreated sea ice, according to Ceccolini.”
“The British boffins battling to dim the sun…
“Last May the Government-backed Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) – a high-risk high-reward “moonshot” agency championed by Dominic Cummings – awarded £56.8m to 21 climate-cooling projects… As such it is the largest single state-backed research programme for solar geoengineering in the world.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/17/british-heatwave-arctic-dimming-sun/
“‘Forever chemicals’ – the national cancer scandal brewing in a Lancashire town.
“Residents within a kilometre of the AGC Chemicals Europe factory in Thornton-Cleveleys in the north of England, have found themselves at the centre of what is quickly becoming a national scandal… Today, more than 17,000 [Pfas] contaminated sites have been identified across the UK and Europe…”
“Help, my sofa is killing me! The toxic chemicals hiding in your home…
“The UK’s highly prescriptive fire safety rules mean that our furniture and soft furnishings contain more flame-retardant chemicals than anywhere else in the world. Our curtains, cushions, mattresses, bedding and building materials are full of toxic chemicals, and have been since the 1980s…”
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jul/17/toxic-chemicals-home-how-to-avoid-them-pfas
“We need creative help to understand and reverse human-induced climate change…
“…artists are often called upon at times when societies are in need of a paradigm shift. Our need to understand and reverse human-induced climate change is such a strong inflexion point in our history that we need all the creative help we can get.”
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Has there been any study analysing how last year’s reduction in Mediterranean marine fuel sulphur limits has affected aerosols, clouds and temperatures (I haven’t seen one but you seem better able to sniff out these things)? Italy has been somewhat less affected by extreme heat but that looks to be changing this year, at least in the south. With possible faster warming, on top of the bain marie effect on the trapped water in the Med., Southern Europe is rapidly approaching unliveable conditions without A/C, and full desertification is going to happen decades earlier than the models have predicted.
A/C without enough power in Kuwait City is going to be a death sentence for many people – I don’t think Kuwait has power stations that can directly burn raw crude, unlike Saudi, and relies mostly on gas. It has some dry gas fields and so far seems to be coping without the associated gas from the off line oil wells, but some well aimed Iran strikes could quickly change that.
George when we went on vacation in summer for a month while living in Riyadh all the ac would be shut down. When we got back all the candles we had in the house were lying in a little puddle. Guessing they were paraffin so 120-160 degrees in the house.
Duke, you can slow-cook meat in that sort of temperature range.
Iran is ready to play hardball. GCC will be saying goodbye to many of its electric power generation facilities and desalination plants over the next little while.
It looks like this was a tit-for-tat situation, Survivalist:
“Hamzeh Pour, chief executive of the Hormozgan Water and Wastewater Company, said US strikes hit desalination pumps and electrical infrastructure in Bunji village, in Jask [Iran], cutting off water supplies to 20 villages.
“”The supply of drinking water to 20 villages with a population of approximately 10,000 people has been completely disrupted,” Pour was quoted by Iran’s Tasnim News Agency as saying.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-strikes-leave-10000-iranians-without-water-kuwait-desalination-plant-burns
Kuwait, Qatar and UAE allow attacks and launches against Iran from their territory. They are classified by Iran as the kinetic front line that is most proximal to Iran. They have been prioritized. Iran is going to launch attacks to deplete interceptors then make an example out of someone. Probably Kuwait.
Kuwait relies on the Kuwait National Petroleum Company North Pier crude oil export facility at the Mina Al Ahmadi hub for 90% of its economy. The facility is on fire and smoke visible on satellite imagery.
George, I think the Mediterranean reduction is too recent for attribution studies to be done and make it through the peer-review process. I did find this study that “highlights the sensitivity of the Mediterranean region to global emission changes of anthropogenic aerosols”:
https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/26/9413/2026/
Check out this video, “” https://share.google/eiqMMkD9nyB02lGBh
Puerto Rico’s water crisis. Just another example of Trump Making America Great Again .
Calling out the National Guard during a drought. Some people spending $300/week for just some water.
Have you been practicing hauling 84 lbs of H2O in two 5 gallon jugs?
Bob Shaw Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?
Try this link:
https://m.youtube.com/shorts/T_bBrITfWBs
Sorry, here is the full 5 minute link:
https://youtu.be/Ukw5zbdAO-4?si=1HrtxlWomlvvDykf
Please ignore the two previous links.
Bob, at least Puerto Rico should have a nice, quiet hurricane season. 🤞
“Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria – nearly seven years after the powerful Category 4 storm caused extensive damage to the island’s already delicate infrastructure.”
https://abcnews.com/US/puerto-ricos-infrastructure-recovering-hurricane-maria-7-years/story?id=113672746
As the global Climatastrophe gathers more momentum, deaths will correspondingly increase, and along with that some new form of expressive balm to soften the process of observation.
Plaintive sarcasm like this will continue, but so will some public invocation of useless piety, like a World Cup game preceded by moments of silence for the millions of newly dead in, say, India during the week, not the tens of victims of Spanish wildfires as in this Cup. And then on with the game.
None of us are going to be up for this task. A website on “climate grief” offers this Dear Abby suggestion to offer to afflicted others, such as in this case the people of Puerto Rico:
“What’s one small thing that you think we could do, or even just learn about, that might make things a little better.”
On that score, I have nothing. “Don’t worry, we’ll be getting ours in due time.”?
Not sure. “Leave, if you’ve got the means.” ?
Martin, re public invocations of useless piety (nicely put, btw), 15th July is designated as the EU Day for victims of the global climate crisis:
“This year’s commemoration marked the five-year anniversary of the devastating floods that struck multiple countries in Europe in 2021. A minute’s silence, followed by a live musical performance by Ukrainian cellist Aleksey Shadrin, brought the event to a close.”
https://climate.ec.europa.eu/news-other-reads/news/remembering-victims-climate-disaster-and-building-resilience-2026-07-16_en
Aleksey is nifty on that cello, though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5MwiDI3Ms
Thanks for the EU link, Pan-O. Looks like you folks in Europe are going to be just fine, since your “leaders” are going to be coming up with the European Integrated Framework for Climate Resilience:
“ In line with the recent report of the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, the Commission has already presented key elements of its proposal, such as the introduction of a common climate reference scenario for Europe based on 3°C global warming trajectory. This scenario will serve as a benchmark for EU policies and provide a harmonised methodology for climate risks assessment plans to be developed by Member States, sectors, and private actors. The legislation would establish an obligation to take this common scenario into account in policymaking. The Commission also aims to introduce the notion of risk ownership, which entails clearly identifying responsibilities for action, based on risk assessments, in key sectors (e.g. public health, energy, transport, defence). The proposed integrated framework for climate resilience would establish the principle of climate resilience by design, to be mainstreamed across all documents, institutions, and sectors. It would provide decision-support tools based on Copernicus data to help stakeholders identify climate impacts in their regions or sectors.”
Well then. Risk ownership? 3 degrees? And a guy on a cello for each new enforced shut-up period?
We’re in safe hands there then, Martin. 😂
I am sceptical that modern industrial civilisation can even produce 3C warming before it collapses into a lower-energy state. Feedbacks already set in motion might well still push us past 3C after that though.
Which of the following would you least like to face at some hypothetical time in the future?:
1. A sudden 15 to 20% drop in oil consumption.
2. An jump in temperature rise to 0.25 degrees per year and accelerating.
3. A demented, completed disinhibited, psychotic malignant narcissist in command of the most powerful armed forces ever and with access to the nuclear codes.
4. A simultaneous collapse of three of the major global bread baskets.
5. A simultaneous collapse of global housing, stock, labour and debt markets.
6. Loss of 30% of marine protein supply.
7. Global ebola pandemic.
8. Alien invasion.
9. Zombie apocalypse.
10. Large bollide collision.
11. Terminator judgement day (AI machine apocalypse).
12. Any six of the above.
The more I read the less likely it seems that an industrial civilisation could arise. Even given the troubles getting to complex cells the largest barrier is likely intelligence. There needs to be an unstable, rapidly changing environment in order that problem solving, intelligence becomes an important evolutionary advantage (even if extinction has to be continually narrowly skirted to get there). Then it has to instantly turn to the most stable environment to allow agriculture to take hold and the intelligent species to suddenly thrive (in an environment to which it is wholly unsuited in many ways) and then a load of, hitherto mostly hidden, resources have to become available.
narcissist not narcissus, and unadapted not unevolved
Edit: George, I’ve changed the former; can’t spot the later [Justin P]
I changed it to unsuited but unadapted would have been better (senior moment).
I get the odd one of those, but luckily, as moderator, I have the godlike power to ninja edit my own comments. 🥷
The agony of choice, George. 😅
I agree. The simian supernova we call industrial civilisation is built upon a remarkable chain of improbabilities.
I think the problem-solving conceptual mind is a double-edged sword as much as an evolutionary advantage because, under the pressures of survival, cleverness tends to win out over wisdom. And so we end up where we are… but then I suppose no species lasts forever.
As Joseph Tainter or William Ophuls would have written, we appear to be now in ‘The Bread and Circuses phase of collapse. If you look at the articles Pan has found yesterday, it would seem obvious that the BBC would lead their main morning news with ‘England beat France 6-4 in a meaningless match at the Football World Cup, a game that if it survives, will continue to be played, mainly indoors.
Could there be a better example of living in parallel universes?
“Mental and physical illness proliferates. The majority lives for bread and circuses; worships celebrities instead of divinities; takes its bearings from below rather than above; throws off social and moral restraints, especially on sexuality; shirks duties but insists on entitlements; and so forth.” [William Ophuls]
The Daily Mail has now swapped the football as lead story for a celebrity wedding, fittingly enough:
“Mel C was a picture of wedded bliss on Saturday as she shared an intimate moment with her new husband Chris Dingwall after saying ‘I do’ in front of their loved ones… The singer, 52, showed off her back tattoos in the delicate dress, which featured spaghetti straps and clung to her athletic figure.”
https://www.dailymail.com/tvshowbiz/article-15988449/Mel-C-backless-bridal-gown-Victoria-Beckham-Chris-Dingwall-wedding.html
I must admit, though, that I am not entirely immune to the charms of the escapist stuff – not so much celebrity weddings or football, but I am a sucker for the big boxing events.
Yes. I completely get the escapist stuff – we need it to stay sane. But it feels more projected to hide away what is happening, not complement it?