82,000 Evacuated as ‘Once in a Lifetime' Wildfire Shocks California
Paul Buck / EPA
With more than 25,000 acres still burning, firefighters managed to achieve four percent containment of the Blue Cut fire in California late Wednesday night.
The blaze, which spread from a few acres to 30,000 in just 24 hours, was called a "once in a lifetime kind of fire" by the U.S. Forest Service. Sizzling temperatures, tree die-off and the ongoing drought—exacerbated by climate change—created a perfect storm of conditions for the fire.
Not your imagination: 13 of California's 20 largest wildfires on record have burned in last 16 years. #climatechange https://t.co/Ffwz0RAHx5— Climate Signals (@Climate Signals)1471467285.0
#BluecutFire burns 1,500 acres in San Bernardino National Forest above Devore, officials say https://t.co/u5lTveArpy https://t.co/cjq3afd8QP— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7 Eyewitness News)1471378744.0
Wildfires of this magnitude don't usually occur until the fall, but climate change is making wildfire season longer and more intense.
Here's a map showing the Blue Cut Fire:
For a deeper dive:
News: LA Times, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, US News & World Report, Pacific Standard, PBS Newshour, Wall Street Journal
Commentary: TIME, Justin Worland column
Background: Climate Signals
For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
Activists rally on Jan. 19, 2021 in New York City to demand that U.S. President Joe Biden take immediate executive action to "Build Back Fossil Free." Lev Radin / Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images
By Kenny Stancil
While President Joe Biden's top climate envoy John Kerry told world leaders at a virtual climate summit that the U.S. will fulfill its commitment to provide financial support to developing countries as they grapple with the deadly consequences of a warming planet, campaigners are urging the U.S. to follow the lead of European Union officials who on Monday pledged to stop subsidizing fossil fuels and instead invest in a just transition toward clean energy.
<p>"Ending government support for fossil fuels is a no-brainer," Laurie van der Burg of Oil Change International said Monday in a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/25/eu-foreign-ministers-commit-push-end-fossil-fuel-subsidies-and-finance-pressure" target="_blank">statement</a> responding to the EU's newly stated commitment to phasing out dirty energy subsidies and helping to fund a global push toward renewable energy. "Globally, governments are still propping up fossil fuels with huge sums of public money, behavior that is incompatible with keeping global warming below 1.5ºC."</p><p>Oil Change International's Collin Rees said that "today's commitment by the EU to end overseas investment in oil, gas, and coal projects is yet another indication that the fossil fuel era is over. As a new administration takes power in Washington, this is a powerful signal that clean energy is ascendant and that the EU stands willing to work with President Biden and others to end all finance for dirty energy."</p>
<p>Noting that Biden "has committed to end fossil fuel subsidies and dirty energy finance," van der Burg pointed out that the UK in December "announced an end to their overseas public finance for fossil fuel."</p><p>According to van der Burg, "This creates a powerful opportunity for the EU, UK, and U.S. to collaborate to finally end government-backed finance for oil, gas, and coal ahead of the UK-hosted UN climate summit in November."</p><p>Rees argued that "Biden should act boldly on his campaign commitments to end finance for dirty energy projects."</p>
<p>"By building on past commitments to end coal finance and extending this to oil and gas," Rees added, "Biden can join the EU and UK in transforming international finance to address the challenges of the next century, not prop up the remnants of the last century's infrastructure."</p><p>Speaking at the Netherlands-hosted Climate Adaptation Summit just days after Biden issued an executive order <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/20/after-incredible-first-steps-kxl-and-paris-biden-urged-go-further-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">re-entering</a> the 2015 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> — the emissions reduction treaty the country had <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/04/us-officially-quits-paris-accord-amid-election-uncertainty-progressives-say-make" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abandoned</a> under former President Donald Trump — Kerry said the U.S. "was 'proud to be back' in the global climate discussion," Reuters<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-summit-netherlands/u-s-proud-to-be-back-in-climate-fight-kerry-tells-leaders-idUSKBN29U1N8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> reported </a>Monday.</p><p>"We intend to make good on our climate finance pledge," Kerry said. According to Reuters, the U.S. "has delivered only $1 billion of the $3 billion it pledged under former President Barack Obama to the UN Green Climate Fund, set up to help vulnerable countries transition to clean energy and adapt to a warmer future."</p><p>Three billion dollars is a tiny fraction of what impoverished countries will need to shield their populations from the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/18/no-vaccine-climate-change-coronavirus-has-been-disastrous-says-red-cross-global" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">risks</a> of heatwaves, droughts, fires, floods, and other disasters that have intensified as a result of <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/10/14/planet-earth-says-noaa-just-had-its-hottest-september-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">global warming</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/resources/adaptation-gap-report-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">According to</a> a UN report published earlier this month, developing countries alone will need to spend roughly $70 billion per year to combat the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a>, and those annual costs could surge to $140 billion to $300 billion by 2030 and $280 billion to $500 billion by 2050.</p><p>Kerry said the Biden administration "also intends to make significant investments in climate action" in the U.S. and abroad, Reuters reported. "He did not give details about those investments, but promised Washington would soon announce a new target for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions that 'meets the urgency of the challenge.'"</p><p>Given that the world's most vulnerable people who have done the least to contribute to the climate emergency are likely to bear the brunt of the damage unless drastic steps are taken to transform society, as well as the disproportionate role played by rich nations — and especially the <a href="http://whygreeneconomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Kenner-2016.-Reducing-inequality-and-carbon-footprints-within-countries.pdf" target="_blank">wealthy classes within them</a> — in causing the crisis, climate justice advocates have <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/12/02/un-chief-pleads-stronger-climate-policies-end-suicidal-addiction-fossil-fuels" target="_blank">called</a> on affluent countries that are capable of doing more to step up.</p>
<p>Van der Burg emphasized the importance of wealthy nations taking action domestically — not just in the international arena of climate finance — to drastically reduce emissions and address the root causes of climate disruption.</p><p>Although referring specifically to the EU, her message applies as well to the UK and the U.S.: "For effective diplomacy on this issue, the EU must take action at home, and close loopholes for continued EU support for fossil fuels, including for gas," she <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2021/01/25/eu-foreign-ministers-commit-push-end-fossil-fuel-subsidies-and-finance-pressure" target="_blank">said</a>. "For the EU to lead this agenda at the international level, it must set the right example and phase out all government support for fossil fuels."</p><p>In a letter to Kerry and other world leaders ahead of Monday's climate summit, a group of 3,000 scientists <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-summit-netherlands/u-s-proud-to-be-back-in-climate-fight-kerry-tells-leaders-idUSKBN29U1N8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">warned</a> that if governments fail to adequately invest in climate change mitigation and adaptation now, "the results will be increasing poverty, water shortages, agricultural losses, and soaring levels of migration with an enormous toll on human life."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/25/kerry-touts-us-commitment-climate-diplomacy-biden-urged-follow-eu-lead-ending-dirty" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
- 145 Progressive Groups Urge Biden to Shun Fossil Fuel Execs and ... ›
- World Mayors Call for Car-Free Streets, End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
How Biden’s Dogs Could Make the Oval Office a Workplace With Less Stress and Better Decision-Making
34m
Animals
First Lady Jill Biden with First Dog Champ outside the White House on Sunday, Jan. 24. Adam Schultz / Official White House photo
By Ellen Furlong
On Jan. 24 the White House welcomed two new residents: Champ and Major, the newly minted first dogs of the United States. The first dogs are poised to offer special benefits to workers in the White House.
<p>
<span></span>Since entering the political spotlight, Champ and Major have achieved <a href="https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a34680434/joe-biden-dogs/" target="_blank">celebrity status</a>, making news when then-<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/29/politics/biden-twisted-ankle/index.html" target="_blank">President-elect Joe Biden fractured his foot while playing with Major</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/joebiden/status/1189327302733238272?lang=en" target="_blank">stumping for Biden on the campaign trail</a>. The dogs even share a <a href="https://twitter.com/firstdogsusa" target="_blank">Twitter account</a>, which features <a href="https://twitter.com/firstdogsusa/status/1349845039434887168" target="_blank">photos</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/firstdogsusa/status/1352404292049711106/photo/1" target="_blank">doggie press releases</a>. Major, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/style/biden-german-shepherd-champ-major-rescue.html" target="_blank">the first shelter dog to live in the White House</a>, has delighted so many people, the Delaware Humane Association, from which Major was adopted, <a href="https://delawarehumaneassociation.salsalabs.org/indoguration/index.html" target="_blank">held an "indoguration" ceremony</a> for him.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/white-house-pets/top-dogs-at-the-white-house" target="_blank">Pets in the Oval Office</a> have long fascinated many on both sides of the aisle. George H.W. Bush's springer spaniel, <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Millie_s_Book/VIxTPgAACAAJ?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Millie, "authored" a book</a> on life in the White House that charmed many readers – and even <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/all-the-presidents-pooches-136909816/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outsold her presidential guardian's autobiography</a>. More recently, <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/fotoware?id=4223CE23619B4E05%20A387769923767980" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buddy Clinton</a>, <a href="https://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/Home/The-President-and-Family/The-Bush-Family/Barney-and-Miss-Beazley-Biography.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Barney and Miss Beazley Bush</a> and <a href="https://www.obama.org/gallery/bo-sunny/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bo and Sunny Obama</a> have captivated the American public while roaming the halls of the White House.
</p><p>
As a dog enthusiast, I too take enormous delight in seeing presidents' dogs <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-17/president-obama-runs-with-bo-the-dog/8188148?nw=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">run down the White House hallways</a>, <a href="https://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/spot/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deplane from Air Force One</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-a-dog-pick-the-next-president-132719" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">campaign with their guardians</a>. But as a <a href="https://www.iwudogscientists.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">psychologist studying dog cognition and behavior</a>, I must add a crucial point: <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Decoding-Dogs-Inside-the-Canine-Mind-Audiobook/B08FXRKSK3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dogs have much more to offer</a> than feel-good stories and cute photo ops. A growing area of research suggests that <a href="https://www.medicaldaily.com/how-spending-time-dogs-significantly-improves-your-life-423091" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dogs can provide real benefits</a>, not only to their daily companions, but also to those in their orbit.
</p>
Promoting Well-Being
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUzNjM4OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3NDQxNTg1MX0.3wAaMwHIdVaRh9cIyfTesDpQMK0Pwg9nyUNCtfuTuCU/img.jpg?width=980" id="443d8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4cb3d440ff15ab78cd8309e1ca58050f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1120" data-height="746" />Presidential pup Major Biden stretches his legs on the White House lawn. Adam Schultz / Official White House photo
<p>These benefits explain why many workplaces – from <a href="https://thebark.com/content/barks-directory-best-dog-friendly-companies" target="_blank">Amazon to Zygna</a> – have begun welcoming dogs into their offices. Recent research suggests that dogs in the workplace can lead to <a href="http://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00138" target="_blank">increased worker engagement, lower employee turnover</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021943605277399" target="_blank">greater work satisfaction</a> and even enhanced employee <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010089" target="_blank">cohesion and communication</a>.</p><p><span></span>The Oval Office, the site of momentous decisions, enormous stress and complex social dynamics, may benefit from dogs even more than typical workplaces. After all, stress can compromise <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.003" target="_blank">decision-making</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/11/051117174336.htm" target="_blank">problem-solving abilities</a>. Pets can alleviate stress, however, dampening these effects and leading to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/hyp.38.4.815" target="_blank">improved performance on difficult tasks</a>.</p><p>Not only do people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1550280" target="_blank">report feeling less workplace stress around dogs</a>, but their very bodies tend to support this claim. A growing area of research suggests human <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-013-9546-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heart rates slow, levels of the stress hormone cortisol shrink</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb137178.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blood pressure decreases</a> when people hang out with dogs. Interestingly, the positive effects of pups on stress levels exceed that of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000024236.11538.41" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">even a close friend or family member</a>: A dog will reduce your stress more than your spouse or best friend will. After all, dogs are <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-dogs-nose-knows-no-bounds-and-neither-does-its-love-for-you-148484" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">naturally inclined to love you unconditionally</a> and will never find fault with the way you slurp your soup.</p><p>Dogs may reduce stress because they <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-right-balance/201804/how-dogs-drive-emotional-well-being" target="_blank">provide social support</a>. You may feel supported by your pooch, in part, because of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1261022" target="_blank">oxytocin feedback loop between humans and dogs</a>. Oxytocin, a hormone involved in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6123(08)00427-5" target="_blank">promoting social bonds</a>, is released in both dogs and humans when <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dog-gazes-hijack-brains-maternal-bonding-system-180955019" target="_blank">gazing into each other's eyes</a>.</p><p>People report <a href="https://doi.org/10.2752/089279306785593928" target="_blank">improved mood</a>, <a href="https://news.ubc.ca/2018/03/12/sit-stay-heal-study-finds-therapy-dogs-help-stressed-university-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">increased happiness and greater energy levels</a> around dogs. And, on the flip side, they enjoy reduced feelings of <a href="https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/February-2018/How-Dogs-Can-Help-with-Depression" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">depression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2007.11.007" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">loneliness</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024506" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">negativity</a> when dogs are present.</p>Creating Connection
<p>Given dogs' skill at providing these supports and boosting mood, it may not surprise you to learn they work their magic not only one on one, but also in group settings. In the presence of a dog, people in groups have <a href="https://doi.org/10.2752/089279304785643203" target="_blank">better social interactions, engage in more conversations</a> and are more likely to form <a href="http://doi.org/10.1163/156853007X169333" target="_blank">long-term friendships</a> with one another.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUzNjMxMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzA3NzIyN30.NpV2TIQAIBPvEkJpq_YYdbcbwsOkedIlNPVbrjUuqg8/img.png?width=980" id="d5467" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f3cd33e6849a76002c4db29ae9fb36b3" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1584" data-height="1262" />
<script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153406/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>President Clinton and President Chirac of France showing Buddy some love in 1999. National Archives and Records Administration
<p>The effects of dogs as social lubricants can go further: Dogs even foster development of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1348/000712600161673" target="_blank">social support networks</a> among their humans, leading to a sense of community, and more social interactions between people in their vicinity. These engagements offer opportunities for even more social support in high-stress environments. And perhaps most importantly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2752/175303708X371564" target="_blank">people are more likely to offer help</a> when a dog is present.</p><p>Having Champ and Major in the White House may help President Biden and his staff navigate the stresses and tensions of the current political landscape. Beyond "indogurations," tweets and cute photo ops, Champ and Major will offer physical, psychological and social benefits in the Oval Office.</p><p>In short, pets (<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-being-cat-lover" target="_blank">yes, cats too!</a>) improve the quality of life in almost every context – including presidential ones. Perhaps they can, even in a small way, play a role in uniting a divided country. After all, personal politics aside, isn't it comforting to know there will be paws pattering around the White House again?</p><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ellen-furlong-1165354" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ellen Furlong</a> is an associate professor of Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University.</em></p><p><em>Disclosure statement: Ellen Furlong has written for Audible / The Great Courses. She has received funding from The National Institute of Health. She is a member of The Animal Behavior Society, The Comparative Cognition Society, The American Psychological Association, and The Society for Teaching of Psychology.</em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-bidens-dogs-could-make-the-oval-office-a-workplace-with-less-stress-and-better-decision-making-153406" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Here Are Biden's Day One Actions on Climate and Environment ... ›
- Consequential Biden Actions Nobody Is Talking About - EcoWatch ›
- Joe Biden Appoints Climate Crisis Team - EcoWatch ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Trending
Three of New York City's largest employee pension funds are divesting from securities tied to fossil fuel companies. Alfonzo Forrest / EyeEm / Getty Images
Three of New York City's largest employee pension funds representing civil servants, teachers, and school administrators are divesting from securities tied to fossil fuel companies.
<p>With a combined value of $239 billion, representing 70% of the city's pension assets, the move is one of the largest fossil fuel divestments in the world. </p><p>Under the resolution, the pensions would phase out fossil fuel investments over five years. </p><p>"Fossil fuels are not only bad for our planet and our frontline communities, they are a bad investment," said NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio. </p><p>The NYC pension funds join others, including cities in California and Australia, in the divestment movement.</p>
<p> <strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-25/three-nyc-pension-funds-to-divest-4-billion-from-fossil-fuels?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-__Tq8aOGxjGzvHbnbOvF0EmDyj7KvedXWY72Qqsdp6WdZrC_RA0JSsugoYkhOs6YzUOd_3_MklYnzUYc0YLTUwo9druZMghh4JqFb0e9PFwwSW7ZE&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/nyc-pensions-fossil-fuels-de-blasio-b1792438.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_SbvNc91wdD1fygVjlFqHV4zClBGfzZOx7lnOPkSYUYcY5GFgKQ7R_en0ugWm6ImlIkEfEyOGIDDC8BmLfoMbxyYqTg4FxutbWmrougm7BUo-1CLw&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Independent</a>, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSFWN2K00LN?edition-redirect=ca&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9_yH0AmuUyRa8d4ZCbrLOkoBWw8ENT42urTAQl71AyBa0gVyhBS7D5D_0qWpbjo688ylWaTLtCylW352iwO4naP51rFP0aarzGdvwp41U8dRJUdvM&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, <a href="https://www.kingscountypolitics.com/brooklyn-lawmakers-on-the-move-jan-22-2021/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8bMRnreXggg1vFzuY5_drauZCLRR9NKkYYYNeLkQUV7td2A8oRzdOB-sejm-ingknnTCxFrX87V_Ib86H6FOoJQMEMzj_Wpk1C6bu0_e0a-XWKcWU&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Kings County Politics</a>, <a href="https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/nyc-divests-4b-fossil-fuels-combat-climate-change?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--FPMwfu4qKAh744v3dOpOMLkvox_vSsPgPfshT1bh5rmAzM6bJ56D1UfLTE8dZxTpRN5a-sKti1FL4BI5mSueuJ6ZNW_cEEMjRr0sBZlThd8QIIpk&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Patch</a>, <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-fossil-fuel-divestment-bill-de-blasio-stringer-20210125-q24qr3loune7plykiq5xue2xge-story.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=108160364&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--UGjCbFWEBFOdW6U37X1yPZ0L2tXhOofbfLl3aowORFAh6zcJdl2hRY2zxj0QRNOBc2oO2MyvkAW7Ih8XVEbP6z_Zv69kkiPnnYQHKWGvxVWlOa-w&utm_content=108160364&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NY Daily News</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>
Read More
Show Less
The western edge of the Greenland ice sheet in West Greenland as seen from the air. Ashley Cooper / Getty Images
As the world's ice sheets melt at an increasing rate, researchers are looking for explanations beyond just a hotter climate. A recent study found one answer may lie in the dust.
<p>Published on Monday in Nature Communications, the study found that phosphorus, a mineral found in dust, is a key nutrient for an extensive glacier algae bloom on Greenland's ice sheet, known as the "dark zone." As the algae grow, the ice becomes darker, decreasing its ability to reflect sunlight and causing the ice to melt faster and sea levels to rise. </p><p>"It's important to understand the controls on algal growth because of their role in ice sheet darkening," Dr. Jenine McCutcheon, who led the study published in Nature Communications, <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/4757/blowin_in_the_wind_the_mineral_dust_linked_to_ice_melt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told the University of Leeds</a>. "Although algal blooms can cover up to 78 percent of the bare ice surfaces in the Dark Zone, their abundance and size can vary greatly over time," Dr. McCutcheon added. </p><p>Since 2000, the dark zone's melting season has "progressively started earlier and lasted longer," according to the University of Leeds. Glacier algal blooms are responsible for up to 13 percent of surface melting in this region, the study noted. </p><p>But until recently little was known about how these algal blooms developed.</p>
<p>Researchers found that phosphorus can cause the photosynthesis rate of the ice algae to improve significantly, McCutcheon said, according to the University of Leeds.</p><p>Although researchers examined dust sourced from local rock, they warned that dust can be transported thousands of miles by the wind. </p><p>"As dryland areas in northerly latitudes become even drier under climate change, we can expect to see more dust transported and deposited on the Greenland Ice Sheet, further fueling algal blooms," Associate Professor Dr. Jim McQuaid, who co-authored the study, noted.</p><p>"The findings of this study will improve how we predict where algal blooms will happen in the future, and help us gain a better understanding of their role in ice sheet albedo reduction and enhanced melting," Dr. McCutcheon added. </p>
<p>Researchers are also asking how these algal blooms will grow and darken in a warming climate.</p><p>"In 2019 our glaciers and ice sheets [are] already being darkened by dust, soot, and ash from our industrial world, which provides the perfect home for algae to flourish," Alexandre Anesio, a professor in Arctic biogeochemistry from Aarhus University, who was not affiliated with the University of Leeds study, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/18/tiny-algae-ground-zero-greenland-melting-glaciers" target="_blank">told The Guardian</a>. "As the organisms reproduce, they melt even more snow, which in turn allows them to proliferate again. So it's like a cycle. A very bad one."</p><p>Darkening ice is not just occurring on Greenland's ice sheets, according to The Guardian. It's happening globally, Professor Liane Benning of the German Research Center for Geosciences noted, also impacting the Alpine and Himalayan glaciers. </p><p>In Western Canada, wildfires fueled by climate change are also leaving ash on glaciers, staining the ice, creating habitats for algae and "accelerating the warming process in a feedback loop," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climate-change-mountainsummit/algae-blooms-to-make-glaciers-melt-faster-than-thought-scientists-idUSKBN1XA1WQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> reported.</p><p>"To be honest, I'm massively worried," Anesio told The Guardian. As the planet warms, researchers are rushing to find answers on glacial melting and its impact on biodiversity.<br></p><p>"I just hope that we are not crossing that tipping point because I don't think humans can adapt to the rates of changing climates at the moment," Anesio added.</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Mangroves Threatened by Sea Level Rise Could Disappear by ... ›
- Louisiana Faces Faster Levels of Sea-Level Rise Than Any Other ... ›
- Worst Case Sea Level Rise by Century's End Could Be Doubled ... ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg protests during a "Fridays for Future" protest in front of the Swedish Parliament Riksdagen in Stockholm on October 9. Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP / Getty Images
By Greta Thunberg
- Greta Thunberg calls for urgent action to address the climate and ecological crisis.
- She reminds the world of the promises made to children and grandchildren — a promise they expect to be kept.
- The proposals being discussed and presented at the moment are 'very far from being enough.'
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p>My name is Greta Thunberg and I'm not here to make deals. You see, I don't belong to any financial interest or political party. So I can't bargain or negotiate. I am only here to once again remind you of the emergency we're in. The crisis that you and your predecessors have created and inflicted upon us. The crisis that you continue to ignore.</p>
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="10605be96f226155a2e82011293d251f"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KjRDUlkEbu4?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>I am here to remind you of the promises that you have made to your children and grandchildren. And to tell you that we are not willing to compromise on the very minimum safety levels that still remain.</p><p>The climate and ecological crisis can unfortunately no longer be solved within today's systems. According to the current best available science that is no longer an opinion; that's a fact.</p><p>We need to keep this in mind as countries, businesses and investors now rush forward to present their new so-called "ambitious" climate targets and commitments. The longer we avoid this uncomfortable truth, and the longer we pretend we can solve the climate - and ecological emergency — without treating it like a crisis — the more precious time we will lose. And this is time we do not have.</p>
<p>Today, we hear leaders and nations all over the world speak of an "existential climate emergency". But instead of taking the immediate action you would in any emergency, they set up vague, insufficient, hypothetical targets way into the future, like "net-zero 2050." Targets based on loopholes and incomplete numbers. Targets that equal surrender. It's like waking up in the middle of the night, seeing your house on fire, then deciding to wait 10, 20 or 30 years before you call the fire department while labeling those trying to wake people up alarmists.</p><p>We understand that the world is very complex and that change doesn't happen overnight. But you've now had more than three decades of bla bla bla. How many more do you need? Because when it comes to facing the climate and ecological emergency, the world is still in a state of complete denial. The justice for the most affected people in the most affected areas is being systematically denied.</p><p>Even though we welcome every single climate initiative, the proposals being presented and discussed today are very far from being enough. And the time for "small steps in the right direction" is long gone. If we are to have at least a small chance of avoiding the worst consequences of the climate and ecological crisis, this needs to change.</p><p>Because you still say one thing, and then do the complete opposite. You speak of saving nature, while locking in policies of further destruction for decades to come.</p><p>You promise to not let future generations down, while creating new loopholes, failing to connect the dots, building your so called "pledges" on the cheating tactics that got us into this mess in the first place. If the commitments of lowering all our emissions by 70, 68 or even 55 percent by 2030 actually meant they aim to reduce them by those figures then that would be a great start. But that is unfortunately not the case.</p><p>And since the level of public awareness continues to be so low our leaders can still get away with almost anything. No one is held accountable. It's like a game. Whoever is best at packaging and selling their message wins.</p><p>As it is now, we can have as many summits and meetings as we want, but unless we treat the climate and ecological crisis like a crisis, no sufficient changes will be achieved. What we need — to begin with — is to implement annual binding carbon budgets based on the current best available science.</p>
<p>Right now more than ever we are desperate for hope. But what is hope? For me hope is not more empty assurances that everything will be alright, that things are being taken care of and we do not need to worry.</p><p>For me, hope is the feeling that keeps you going, even though all odds may be against you. For me hope comes from action not just words. For me, hope is telling it like it is. No matter how difficult or uncomfortable that may be.</p><p>And again, I'm not here to tell you what to do. After all, safeguarding the future living conditions and preserving life on earth as we know it is voluntary. The choice is yours to make.</p><p>But I can assure you this. You can't negotiate with physics. And your children and grandchildren will hold you accountable for the choices that you make. How's that for a deal?</p>
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul><p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/01/greta-thunberg-message-to-the-davos-agenda/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2650141679#/" target="_self"></a></p>From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
Read More
Show Less