2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #45

Posted on 11 November 2023 by John Hartz

Story of the Week

What the Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves Means for the Planet

A Q&A with Richard Alley, professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, on how melting at the South Pole could impact sea level rise.

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Host Steve Curwood with Penn State geologist Richard Alley.

Antarctica’s ice shelves are the gatekeepers between the continent’s glaciers and the open ocean.

As the planet warms, these shelves shrink, exposing more and more ice, which leads to more melting. This frozen continent rests under a massive ice sheet averaging more than a mile thick.

But a recent study in Science Advances found that Antarctica had 68 ice shelves that shrunk significantly between 1997 and 2021, adding up to about 8.3 trillion tons lost during that time.

Richard Alley is a professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, and he joined Living on Earth Host Steve Curwood to shed light on what all this melting at the south pole could mean for the planet.

What the Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves Means for the Planet A Q&A with Richard Alley, professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, on how melting at the South Pole could impact sea level rise. Interview by Steve Curwood, Science, Inside Climate News, Nov 11, 2023 

Click here to access the entire article as originally posted on the Inside Climate News website.

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Sunday, Nov 5, 2023

• Scientists warn Earth warming faster than expected — due to reduction in ship pollution Leading climate scientist James Hansen says ‘global warming will accelerate’ by Nicole Mortillaro, Science, CBC News, Nov 3, 2023
• Explainer: How AI helps combat climate change Artificial intelligence (AI) is already making inroads worldwide in health, education and industry, but how can this cutting-edge technology help the world combat and mitigate the effects of climate change? by Staff, Climate & Environment, UN News, Nov 3, 2023
• ‘Sponge cities’: An absorbing idea in the face of climate change From China to Montreal, urban planners are using nature to solve problem of flooding by Benjamin Shingler, Climate, CBC News, Nov 4, 2023
• How Much Can the Seasons Bend Before They Break? by Yearly weather patterns are changing. Our traditions need to keep up. by Ferris Sabr, Science, The Atlantic Magazine, Nov 2, 2023
• Politicians who delay climate action must live with consequences, says WHO expert Delegates at Cop are ‘negotiating with our health’, says Maria Neira, the doctor in charge of environmental health at WHO by Ajit Nirajan, World, The Guardian, Nov 4, 2023
• Amazon drought: Much damage still to come, Commentary by Philip M. Fearnside &, Rosimeire Araújo Silva, Amazon Conservation Series, Mongabay, Nov 1, 2023
• Flash droughts are likely to become increasingly common, say researchers Scientists have been studying the increasingly common phenomenon, which can intensify wildfires and affect crop yields by Kate Ravilious, Environment, The Guardian, Nov 2, 2023
• Living in a Neighborhood That Floods, Rain or Shine As high tide floods increase in some areas of New York City, its residents are asking themselves: When does a place become unlivable by Winston Choi-Schagrin, NY Region, New York Times, Nov 5, 2023

Monday, Nov 6, 2023

• Deep Rifts at UN Loss and Damage Talks Cast a Shadow on Upcoming Climate Conference Developing countries oppose the U.S.-led plan for the World Bank to host the new climate fund, and question the credibility of developed countries that have failed to deliver on other climate promises. by Bob Berwyn, Justice, Inside Climate News, Nov 3, 2023
• COP28 conference looks set for conflict after tense negotiations on climate damage fund by Sibi Arusa, Climate Change, AP News, Nov 5, 2023
• New books and reports about climate change and your health These 12 books and reports can help you understand how burning fossil fuels can make you — and your children — sick. by Michael Svoboda, Review, Yale Climate Connections, Oct 30, 2023
• Can Seawalls Save Us? Huge coastal barriers could protect the world’s cities. But they’ll have unexpected costs. by Donald A Gross, Annals of a Warming Planet, The New Yorker Magazine, Nov 5, 2023
• What to Know About the Coming U.S. Hydrogen Energy Boost The Biden administration announced $7 billion to create regional hydrogen hubs. Here’s how the element could power our grid, if it’s done right by Angely Mercado, Energy, Gizmodo, Nov 5, 2023
• The US was plagued by extreme heat in the 1930s, but it’s warmer now There’s overwhelming evidence that human-caused climate change is warming the Earth and leading to more intense and frequent heat waves. by Sara Swan, Fact-Checking, Poynter, Nov 6, 2023
• Our minds handle risk strangely – and that’s partly why we delayed climate action so long by Jeff Rotman, Environment & Energy, The Conversation AU, Nov 6, 2023
• As Extreme Heat Increases, Heart Attacks Will Rise Dangerously hot days are becoming more common. That will trigger heart attacks and strokes in people made vulnerable by age, race, and the layout of cities. by Maryn McKenna, Science, Wired Magazine, Nov 1, 2023

Tuesday, Nov 7, 2023

• New Climate Compensation Agreement Raises International Tensions A U.S. push for voluntary payments in high-stakes negotiations over a global fund for climate disasters has raised tensions ahead of the upcoming COP28 climate summit by Sara Schonhardt, E&E News/Scientific American, Nov 6, 2023
• Why Storm Ciarán’s winds were so strong by Suzanne Gray & Ambrogio Volonté, Environment, The Conversation UK, Nov 3, 2023
• Why Wind Power Industry Is Stumbling and What Can be Done by Lars Paulsson, Will Wade & Jennifer A Dlouhy, Green Quicktake, Bloomberg News, Nov 3, 2023
• Three major gaps in climate-adaptation finance for developing countries, Guest Post by Nella Canales & Georgia Savvidou, International Policy, Carbon Brief, Nov 2, 2023
• Climate Benefits of Hydrogen Are at Risk as Fossil Fuel Industry Pressures Mount Rigorous standards are required to scale hydrogen as a clean energy solution; otherwise, it will be a costly, polluting diversion, Opinion by Julie McNamara, Environment, Scientific American, Nov 6, 2023
• At a glance – Is Mars warming? by John Mason and Baerbel Winkler, Skeptical Science, Nov 7, 2023
• ‘Everything is parched’: Amazon struggles with drought amid deforestation By now, the rivers should be full. But large-scale cattle farming, the climate crisis and weather events like El Niño mean Brazil is near the point of no return by Jonathan Watts, World, The Guardian, Nov 6, 2023
• In the Florida Everglades, a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hotspot Drainage has exposed the fertile soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area, a region responsible for much of the nation’s sugar cane. by Amy Green, Science, Inside Climate News, Nov 6, 2023

Wednesday, Nov 8, 2023

• Q&A: The fight over the ‘loss-and-damage fund’ for climate change by Josh Gabbatiss & Daisy Dunne, UN Climate Talks, Carbon Brief, Nov 7, 2023
• Why can’t we just quit cows? Eating less beef, cheese, and ice cream would slash emissions. If only it were that easy. by Naoki Nitta, Grist, Nov 1, 2023
• Extreme Weather May Be Displacing Animals, Too, a New Study Suggests An analysis by researchers in China found that weather disasters might be helping nonnative animals replace native species in the wild. by Asher Elbein, Climate, New York Times, Nov 7, 2023
• After planet’s hottest October, U.S. temperatures are spiking in November Dozens of record highs in the 80s and even 90s are predicted in parts of the central and eastern U.S. through Thursday by Matthew Cappucci, Weather, Washington Post, Nov 7, 2023
• Paris polar summit: Melting ice takes center stage Recent studies have shown vital ice sheets are melting at unprecedented rates. Scientists, politicians and NGOs are gathering in Paris for a Polar Summit. by Serdar Vardar, Deutsche Welle (DW), Nov 8, 2023
• Here’s Where Wildfires Are Burning Across the Southern U.S. Firefighters have been fighting to contain fires in Virginia, North Carolina and other states. by Lola Fadulu, US, New York Times, Nov 7, 2023
• SkS Analogy 26 – Earth’s Beating Hearts by Evan, Skeptical Science, Nov 8, 2023
• Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on climate change by Ximena Bustillo, All Things Considered, KUAR/NPR, Nov 8, 2023

Thursday, Nov 9, 2023

• This year ‘virtually certain’ to be warmest in 125,000 years, EU scientists say by Kate Abnett & Gloria Dickie, Business, Reuters, Nov 8, 2023
• 9 unexpected side effects of climate change by Ian Shine, Climate Change, World Economic Forum, Nov 8, 2023
• Climate change worsened drought in Syria, Iraq and Iran A three-year drought in the region was made far more likely due to climate change, a new study has found. And it will probably get worse in the coming years. by Alister Walsh, Nature & Environment, Deutsche Welle (DW), Nov 8, 2023
• ‘Insanity’: petrostates planning huge expansion of fossil fuels, says UN report Plans by nations including Saudi Arabia, the US and UAE would blow climate targets and ‘throw humanity’s future into question’ by Damian Carrington, Environment, The Guardian, Nov 8, 2023
• Giant Sequoias Are in Big Trouble. How Best to Save Them? California’s ancient sequoias — some of which have stood more than 1,000 years — are facing an existential threat from increasingly intense wildfires linked to climate change. But federal efforts to thin forests to reduce fire risks are drawing pushback from conservation groups. by Jim Robbins, Yale Environment 360, Nov 9, 2023
• Nation (US) at risk of winter blackouts as power grid remains under strain Federal regulator warns much of the country faces an elevated threat of outages in the event of storms or prolonged cold snaps by Evan Halper, Business, Washington Post, Nov 8, 2023
• Ecosystems as Infrastructure: A New Way of Looking at Climate Resilience Landscape architect Kate Orff works on rebuilding natural systems to help communities and cities reduce their climate risks. Places with interwoven ecological systems, she says, are more resilient and better able both to respond to emergencies and adapt for the future. by Richard Schiffman, Yale Environment 360, Nov 7, 2023
• Hottest October Globally Marks Fifth Record-shattering Month by Kelly MacNamara, AFP/Barron’s, Nov 7, 2023

Friday, Nov 10, 2023

• Planned Fossil Fuel Production Vastly Exceeds the World’s Climate Goals, ‘Throwing Humanity’s Future Into Question’  Among the 20 top fossil fuel-producing countries, the U.S., Brazil and Saudi Arabia foresee significant increases in domestic oil production, while Russia, India and Indonesia all project substantial increases in coal. by Nicholas Kusnetz, Fossil Fuels, Inside Climate News, Nov 8, 2023
• Firm using AI to map trees from space in bid to save tropical forests Space Intelligence chief executive Dr Murray Collins said it is important to develop ‘sophisticated technology’ in the fight against climate change. by Lucinda Cameron, Climate, The independent (UK), Nov 9, 2023
• Climate change: Intensity of ongoing drought in Syria, Iraq and Iran ‘not rare anymore’ by Ayesha Tandon, Extreme Weather, Carbon Brief, Nov 8, 2023
• Climate change is impacting the home insurance industry and damaging the housing market by Anna Bahney, Road to COP, CNN Business, Nov 7, 2023
• Greenland’s ice shelves hold back sea level rise. There are just 5 left. by Chris Money, Climate, Washington Post, Nov 7, 2023
• We can’t save the West Antarctic. So what now? by Dr Gilbz, YouTube Video, Nov 8, 2023
• Can we still avoid 1.5 degrees C of global warming? Global temperatures are approaching a crucial threshold. by Bob Henson, Eye On the Storm, Yale Climate Connections, Nov 9, 2023
• One Huge Contradiction Is Undoing Our Best Climate Efforts The math isn’t adding up. by Zoë Schlanger, Planet, The Atlantic Monthly, Nov 10, 2023

Saturday, Nov 11, 2023

• WTF is he talking about? | Reacting to Jordan Peterson on Climate Change (ft. Alex Epstein) by Rosh Salgado D’Arcy, All about Climate on YouTube, Nov 10, 2023
• Australia to accept migrants from climate-hit Tuvalu in security pact Australia has offered visas and climate finance to Tuvalu in a security pact to counter China’s influence in the Pacific region by Staff, Reuters/Climate Home News, Nov 10, 2023
• Argentine rewilding debate descends into legal threats A nature conservation foundation has accused Argentine scientists of slander after criticism of their rewilding methods by Julian Reingold, Climate Home News, Nov 6, 2023
• Texas Republicans Target Climate Science in Textbooks Ahead of Education Board Vote Republican Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian wants the Texas Board of Education to reject new science textbooks, which accurately describe the causes and effects of climate change. by Kristoffer Tigue, Today’s Climate, Inside Climate News, Nov 10, 2023
• Why I’m not going to have children, Opinion by Anna Lee, Social Commentary, CNN, Nov 11, 2023 
• Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Falls to a Five-Year Low Tree loss was down 20 percent from the previous year, the environment minister announced. by Manuela Andreoni, Climate, New York Times, Nov 9, 2023
• Climate Science Translated by Nish Kumar, YouTube Video, Nov 2, 2023
• What the Melting of Antarctic Ice Shelves Means for the Planet A Q&A with Richard Alley, professor of geosciences at Pennsylvania State University, on how melting at the South Pole could impact sea level rise. Interview by Steve Curwood, Science, Inside Climate News, Nov 11, 2023