The battle to protect Hawaii’s Big Island from genetically engineered (GE) crops continues.
On Aug. 1 Center for Food Safety (CFS), Earthjustice and local farmers filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit to defend the County of Hawaii’s Ordinance 13-121, which places a moratorium on expanding GE crops on the Big Island and regulates the organisms to prevent harm from associated pesticide use and the contamination of non-GE crops.
“Hawaii County, like every county, has the right to protect its farmers and native environments from genetically engineered crops,” said George Kimbrell, CFS senior attorney. “Having GE-free zones is critical for the sustainable future of U.S. agriculture, and to protect Hawaii’s unique ecosystems.”
The lawsuit is driven largely by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the trade association representing companies like Monsanto. It aims to open up the island for expansion of GE crop production by rolling back the 2013 ordinance. Due to Hawaii’s climate, it has become a world center for experimental GE seed production.
“Hawaii is one of the most biologically diverse, as well as spectacularly beautiful, places in the world, but the chemical companies have been turning the islands into experimental laboratories, unleashing a fountain of pesticides and genetically engineered material into the air, land and waters,” said Paul Achitoff, Earthjustice managing attorney based in Honolulu. “We stand with the people of Hawaii Island who are trying to protect their island from being transformed into another toxic waste dump.”
The Big Island is not the only Hawaiian island facing such legal battles. Kaua’i was sued by three big agrochemical companies in January to block Kaua’i County’s genetically modified organism (GMO) regulatory law. Hawaii has become ground zero for the battle over GMOs, with growing grassroots opposition to the five big biotech companies expanding their operations there: Monsanto, Syngenta, DuPont, Dow Agrochemicals and BASF.
“In Hawaii, we believe that our seeds, crops, and foods should remain free of contamination from genetically engineered plants,” said Big Island farmer and agricultural educator, Nancy Redfeather.
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Pollution on the Ganges River. Kaushik Ghosh / Moment Open / Getty Images
The most polluted river in the world continues to be exploited through fishing practices that threaten endangered wildlife, new research shows.
<p>The Ganges River is a quagmire of raw sewage, toxic waste and overfishing from the crowded cities along its waterway. It is also home to the endangered Ganges <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2020/nov/24/rare-dolphin-trapped-in-net-in-odishas-govari-river-dies-2227377.html" target="_blank">river dolphin</a> and the critically endangered three-striped roofed turtle, along with other threatened marine species.</p><p>As part of the National Geographic Society's "Sea to Source: Ganges" expedition, a study was conducted to understand how much plastic pollution or "ghost" fishing threatens the native <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife">wildlife</a>. Fishing nets are common in the river, and entanglements frequently occur.</p>
<p>According to interviews conducted with the local fishing community as part of the study, nets and equipment are commonly left in the river. Researchers at the University of Exeter, who gathered data for the study, found disposal systems in short supply.</p><p>"The Ganges River supports some of the world's largest inland fisheries, but no research has been done to assess plastic pollution from this industry, and its impacts on wildlife," said Dr. Sarah Nelms, a postdoctoral associate at the Center for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter, and an author of the study.</p><p>"Ingesting plastic can harm wildlife, but our threat assessment focused on entanglement, which is known to injure and kill a wide range of marine species."</p>
<p>Professor Heather Koldewey, of the Zoological Society of London and the University of Exeter, and a National Geographic Fellow believes the "circular economy" – the reuse of products and equipment that have monetary value – can play a role in keeping nets out of the river, especially when nets are made of durable nylon material which can be reused to make carpet or clothing.</p><p>"Collection and recycling of nylon 6 has strong potential as a solution because it would cut plastic pollution and provide an income," she said.</p><p>Plastic pollution in <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">marine </a>and <a href="https://www.salon.com/2020/11/30/how-humanity-lost-control-of-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">freshwater</a> ecosystems continues on an increasing scale to cause wildlife death. But Koldewey believes behavior changes through this new research could have positive effects.</p><p>"This is a complex problem that will require multiple solutions – all of which must work for both local communities and wildlife."</p>
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Oil spills, such as the one in Mauritius in August 2020, could soon be among the ecological crimes considered ecocide. - / AFP / Getty Images
By Kenny Stancil
An expert panel of top international and environmental lawyers have begun working this month on a legal definition of "ecocide" with the goal of making mass ecological damage an enforceable international crime on par with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
<p>Assembled by the Stop Ecocide Foundation at the request of several Swedish parliamentarians, the initiative to criminalize the destruction of ecosystems at the global level has already garnered support from European countries as well as small island nations highly vulnerable to rising sea levels.</p><p>The drafting panel is co-chaired by Philippe Sands QC, a professor at University College London, and Justice Florence Mumba, a former judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC). </p><p>The November 20 launch date of the project coincided with the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders, where the terms "crimes against humanity" and "genocide" were coined.</p>
<p>"The time is right," Sands <a href="https://www.stopecocide.earth/expert-drafting-panel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said </a>recently at an event commemorating the Nuremberg trials, "to harness the power of international criminal law to protect our global environment."</p><p>"Seventy five years ago, 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' were spoken for the first time, in Nuremberg's Courtroom 600," Sands added, "and my hope is that this group will be able to draw on experience since that day to forge a definition that is practical, effective, and sustainable, and that might attract support to allow an amendment to the ICC Statute to be made."</p><p>Charles Jalloh, a professor at Florida International University and member of the United Nations International Law Commission who is on the panel drafting a legally robust definition of ecocide, said that "states should use all tools at their disposal, including their criminal law power at the national and international levels, to protect our shared global environment and to bring the most responsible perpetrators to justice."</p>
<div id="a7786" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1141146b6f6ee52f22c2ee4ca9b14037"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331227090755215363" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Professor Jalloh is a member of the UN International Law Commission & Editor in Chief of the Journal of African Leg… https://t.co/MAf3pR2tLV</div> — Stop Ecocide International (@Stop Ecocide International)<a href="https://twitter.com/EcocideLaw/statuses/1331227090755215363">1606224246.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The Stop Ecocide Foundation <a href="https://www.stopecocide.earth/expert-drafting-panel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted </a>that the concept of criminalizing ecocide "has been steadily gaining traction in recent months since small island states Vanuatu and the Maldives called for 'serious consideration' of it at the ICC's annual assembly" in December 2019. According to the group, French President Emmanuel Macron "has actively promised to champion the idea," and the Belgian government has also "pledged diplomatic action to support it."</p><p>As<em> The Guardian </em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/nov/30/international-lawyers-draft-plan-to-criminalise-ecosystem-destruction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> Monday, the ICC "has previously promised to prioritize crimes that result in the 'destruction of the environment,' 'exploitation of natural resources,' and the 'illegal dispossession' of land."</p><p>"An <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/15/hague-court-widens-remit-to-include-environmental-destruction-cases" target="_blank">ICC policy paper in 2016</a> said it was not formally extending its jurisdiction but would assess existing offenses, such as crimes against humanity, in a broader context," <em>The Guardian </em>continued. Yet "there have been no formal investigations or charges of this type so far."</p>
<p>Panel member Pablo Fajardo, the Goldman prize-winning Ecuadorian lawyer who challenged Chevron for polluting the Amazon rainforest,<a href="https://www.stopecocide.earth/expert-drafting-panel" target="_blank"> said</a> that this "great legal vaccum that exists globally" results in "crimes... committed against nature, against life... go[ing] unpunished," even though "these crimes take their toll on humanity."</p><p>"We see... systemic, widespread, and deliberate destruction of the environment without any obvious consequences," <a href="https://www.stopecocide.earth/expert-drafting-panel" target="_blank">said </a>panelist Christina Voigt, a professor at the University of Oslo and expert in climate change law. A newly defined crime of ecocide, she added, "could not only bring those responsible to justice, but also more importantly prevent further destruction."</p><p>As <em>The Guardian</em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/nov/30/international-lawyers-draft-plan-to-criminalise-ecosystem-destruction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> pointed out</a>, "one challenge for the drafting panel would be to define at what point an ecocide offense would come into force. Chopping down a single tree on a village green would not be sufficient."</p>
<p>Jojo Mehta, chair of the Stop Ecocide Foundation, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/nov/30/international-lawyers-draft-plan-to-criminalise-ecosystem-destruction" target="_blank">told </a><em>The Guardian</em> that "it would have to involve mass, systematic, or widespread destruction" of the world's ecosystems.</p><p>"We are probably talking about Amazon deforestation on a huge scale, deep sea bottom trawling, or oil spills," she said. "We want to place it at the same level as atrocities investigated by the ICC."</p><p>Mehta explained that "in most cases ecocide is likely to be a corporate crime."</p><p>"Criminalizing something at the ICC means that nations that have ratified it have to incorporate it into their own national legislation," she added. "That means there would be lots of options for prosecuting [offending corporations] around the world."</p><p>Preparatory work is now underway, and the panel plans to deliver a draft of a legally enforceable definition of ecocide in early 2021. </p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/11/30/end-impunity-deliberate-destruction-planet-international-lawyers-drafting-plan" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Polar bears are seen in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Alan D. Wilson / Wikimedia Commons / CC by 3.0
After ongoing pressure from environmental groups and Indigenous communities, Bank of America has said it will not finance any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic, making it the last major U.S. financial institution to do so.
<p>The decision is especially significant because outgoing President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" target="_self">Donald Trump</a> has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-arctic-wildlife-drilling-plan-2647013527.html" target="_self">opened up</a> the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/arctic-national-wildlife-refuge" target="_self">Arctic National Wildlife Refuge</a> (ANWR) to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuel" target="_self">fossil fuel</a> exploration, and is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-anwr-oil-leases-2648954756.html" target="_self">rushing</a> to sell leases for drilling in the refuge before leaving office.</p><p>"It has long been clear that drilling in the Arctic Refuge would trample Indigenous rights, threaten vulnerable <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildlife" target="_self">wildlife</a>, and worsen the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. Now that every major American bank has stated unequivocally that they will not finance this destructive activity, it should be clearer than ever that any oil company considering participating in Trump's ill-advised lease sale should stay away," <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank">Sierra Club</a> Senior Campaign Representative Ben Cushing said in a <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/11/bank-america-announcement-every-major-us-bank-has-ruled-out-funding-for" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">press release responding to the news</a>.</p><p>Bank of America first announced its decision to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-30/bofa-says-it-won-t-finance-oil-and-gas-exploration-in-the-arctic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg News on Monday</a> and confirmed it to <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201201-bank-of-america-latest-to-say-no-to-financing-arctic-drilling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AFP</a>. In the statement, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank said it had unofficially refrained from financing Arctic drilling for a long time.</p>
<p>"There's been misunderstanding around our position, but we have not historically participated in project finance for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic," Bank of America head of public policy and strategy in Washington Larry Di Rita told Bloomberg. "But given that misinterpretation, we've determined that it's time to codify our existing practice into policy."</p><p>The Sierra Club singled out Bank of America after Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Chase, Wells Fargo and Citi all announced official no-Arctic-drilling policies this year.</p><p>Bank of America emphasized its environmental commitments to Bloomberg. It has pledged to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and aims to fund green bonds and support global climate solutions.</p>
<p>Its announcement raises further doubt about the likely success of Trump's push to lease parcels of ANWR before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20. Some analysts have pointed out it may be difficult to finalize sales by that date, AFP reported. Oil prices are also hovering around $45 a barrel, so companies may not be motivated to lease drilling sites far from major infrastructure. International financial institutions have also promised not to fund drilling in the refuge.</p><p>"Nearly 30 major banks around the world (now including all 6 major U.S. banks!) have concluded that funding new Arctic drilling — especially the Arctic Refuge, which Trump is recklessly trying to destroy — is far too risky and bad for business," Cushing <a href="https://twitter.com/bmcushing/status/1333544873530679297" target="_blank">tweeted</a>.</p><p>Environmental and Indigenous groups have long opposed drilling in the ANWR, partly because of its potential impact on Indigenous rights and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/endangered-species" target="_self">endangered species</a> such as polar bears and caribou. ANWR's coastal plain is the birthing and nursing ground for the Porcupine Caribou herd, and the Gwich'in Nation of Canada and Alaska considers it the "Sacred Place Where Life Begins." In 1988, the nation formed the <a href="https://ourarcticrefuge.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gwich'in Steering Committee</a> to oppose oil and gas drilling on the plain.</p><p>"The Trump administration has never even pretended to care about the Indigenous communities whose human rights would be threatened by the destruction of the coastal plain, but major financial institutions are listening to us," Gwich'in Steering Committee Executive Director Bernadette Demientieff said in the Sierra Club press release. "We will never stop fighting to protect the sacred calving grounds from destructive drilling, and we will prevail."</p>
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Map shows tracks and strength of Atlantic tropical cyclones in 2020. Blues are tropical depressions and tropical storms; yellow through red show hurricanes, darker shades meaning stronger ones. Master0Garfield / Wikimedia Commons
By Astrid Caldas
As we reach the official end of hurricane season, 2020 will be one for the record books. Looking back at these long, surprising, sometimes downright crazy past six months (seven if you count when the first named storms actually started forming), there are many noteworthy statistics and patterns that drive home the significance of this hurricane season, and the ways climate change may have contributed to it.
<p><br/></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTk3NzI3M30.nuos3jK9lDTK2Y7lsUuwGwoYLSDW0lvEYLwvBPs60OM/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e32e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="56d35cc370ede3d2f965a897182686ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
NOAA
<p>Hurricane activity this year <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">broke some records</a>. As of today, we have had a record 30 named storms, of which 13 turned into hurricanes. The first two, Arthur and Bertha, even formed before June 1, the official start of hurricane season. The third formed on June 1 itself.</p><p>This is also only the second time in tropical storm naming history, the first time being in 2005, that the National Hurricane Center <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml" target="_blank">had to use the Greek alphabet letters</a> to name storms after the regular list of names was exhausted. As the season progressed, storms generally got stronger – the image below gives a good idea of this progression. While a pattern like this is not unseen, it certainly is not usually this striking (for instance, see timelines of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2005_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2005</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2017_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2017</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2018_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2018</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_2019_Atlantic_hurricane_season" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019</a>).</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTAyMDY3Nn0.BhJhN_ErgAy_w5VzMcYKPf9KHfLF6NvhQqJS8cj3HEY/img.png?width=980" id="e8972" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ea63282304cdf72c8bf095c11469abf9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Fortunately, the high level of activity did not translate into a higher number of major hurricanes this season. The August <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank">updated forecast</a> from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had called for 19-25 named storms, with 7-11 turning into hurricanes, 3-6 of which would be major (Category 3 or higher). The total number of named storms and hurricanes went up, but the latter prediction did not change from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-predicted-for-2020" target="_blank">original forecast released in May</a> (see infographics below).</p><p>So, even though 2020 surpassed the predicted number of named storms and hurricanes, as of today, six of the 13 hurricanes were major, still (barely) within the prediction. Of all the named storms, 12 made landfall in the U.S., six as hurricanes. As of today, the season was record-setting for named storms. It ranks <a href="https://twitter.com/philklotzbach/status/1329930734635630593" target="_blank">second</a> for hurricanes & major hurricanes.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDQwNzE4OH0.BqYImnv3vRtvgqZvRcIk8ESQX7eOePgn1Vp4RHivhT0/img.png?width=980" id="dc297" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="68446095682eb5c2bd085d14e6f920b7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A summary infographic showing hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms predicted from NOAA's 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook. NOAA
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTkxMzk3OX0.a7NktMsiV-68Dtwf8uURYvGtByvjbcvPIxbS-itZz4E/img.png?width=980" id="d2ccc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a1b178bc5490c39407c8b0d2293ed16" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
The updated 2020 Atlantic hurricane season probability and numbers of named storms. NOAA
<p>Both Gulf and East Coast states were affected by landfalling hurricanes, and, strikingly, very <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/16/tropical-storm-winds-lower-48/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">few coastal counties have not been affected</a> by tropical storm winds this season. Many of the 2020 storms formed in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico, hence nine out of the 12 U.S. landfalling storms targeting the Gulf states. Louisiana, for example, suffered five landfalls starting in May with TS Bertha.</p><p>This is the 6th year in a row that named storms formed before the official start of the season, and the 5th season in a row with at least one category 5 hurricane. It was also the first year to have two major hurricanes in the month of November (Eta and Iota, a Category 4 and 5 respectively), and September 2020 alone had 10 storms – almost equal to the number of total storms for the entirety of an average season, which is currently 12.</p><p>The 2020 season also had 27 named storms that hold the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Atlantic_hurricane_records" target="_blank">record for earliest formation by initial letter</a> – most of the previous records were set in 2005.</p>
<h3>A Bit of Science</h3><p>One characteristic of the 2020 season that will be discussed for quite a while is the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutgloss.shtml#r" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rapid intensification</a> of storms. <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ten storms</a> so far this year have seen sustained winds gain 35 mph or more in speed within 24 hours or less, with Eta and Iota beating all records with 80 mph increases as they neared landfall on the coast of Nicaragua. The <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2020-11-15-atlantic-hurricane-season-ten-storms-rapidly-intensify" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1995 season also had 10 rapidly intensifying storms</a> – but not at the same rate. Some scientists <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/bams/article/98/3/495/70036/Will-Global-Warming-Make-Hurricane-Forecasting" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">argue</a> that rapid intensification is likely to become a more common feature of future storms, making forecasting trickier. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-08471-z.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Research has shown</a> that rapid intensification, observed over the past 40 years, has become more frequent, a pattern that is not supported by models of internal climate variation alone, suggesting that human-caused global warming might be a factor. <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/jcli/article/31/20/8281/92614/Projected-Response-of-Tropical-Cyclone-Intensity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Another study</a> determined that the chance of a hurricane intensifying went from 1 in 100 in the early 80s to 1 in 20 by mid-2005.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0NzU2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjI2NjM3MX0.753Urx0au33Hqz3vy1bTqOWf4rZLyp3JPPGCF-nZ4Co/img.jpg?width=980" id="3d54a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="021f4862a8df4f5a055d450e7a7b0522" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>What we are seeing in the U.S. is also being seen across the globe. Rapidly intensifying <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/10/07/tropical-storm-category-hours-super-typhoon-hagibis-intensifies-one-fastest-rates-record/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">typhoons</a> have wreaked havoc in Asia this year, and we saw storms crossing the Caribbean and hitting Central American countries as major hurricanes formed in less than 24 hours. Nicaragua was hit by two category 4 hurricanes in two weeks, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/11/17/nicaragua-eta-iota-landfalls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">something never seen before</a>.</p><p>I have <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/dangerous-hurricane-season-to-open-amidst-covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previously written</a> that hurricanes are becoming <a href="https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-013-1713-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stronger</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0673-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">wetter</a>, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-019-0074-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slower</a>, and <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/48/23942" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">more destructive</a>, and all these trends have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/climate/climate-change-hurricanes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">linked to anthropogenic global warming</a> in one way or another. <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/link-between-heat-and-hurricanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New studies</a> since have also pointed to the fact that the link between heat and the intensity of tropical cyclones is becoming clearer, and that their <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/117/22/11975" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">intensity over the past four decades</a> has increased.</p><p>Another new characteristic of Atlantic hurricanes determined in a study is that they are losing strength more slowly. Whereas in the 60's hurricanes lost 75 percent of their strength within 24 hours of making landfall, today they lose only 50 percent in the same amount of time. That certainly contributes to a higher impact from rainfall and winds.</p><p>The very active forecast released in August by NOAA was based on some variables that historically affect Atlantic tropical cyclone activity. In addition to the <a href="https://climatereanalyzer.org/wx/DailySummary/#sst" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abnormally warm sea surface temperatures</a>, which act as a type of "fuel" to the formation of storms, there were other factors at play.</p><p>The establishment of a <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">La Niña</a> pattern, which historically affects high winds in the Atlantic, tends to diminish the vertical wind shear that could help prevent the formation of a tropical cyclone. Also, according to <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/extremely-active-hurricane-season-possible-for-atlantic-basin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NOAA</a>, a large-scale climate pattern called the <a href="https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/atlantic-multi-decadal-oscillation-amo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation</a> has also been favoring more active hurricane seasons since 1995 by making wind conditions in the tropics more conducive to tropical cyclone formation. This favors weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds and an enhanced west African monsoon, which also affect Atlantic tropical cyclone formation.</p>
<h3>Costs and Future of Hurricanes</h3><p>Tropical cyclones are the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/calculating-cost-weather-and-climate-disasters" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">costliest of weather and climate disasters</a>, no doubt due to their widespread impacts: storm surge, wind, rain, all come together to create compound risks in the areas affected. In addition, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/26/nyregion/rebuild-home-hurricane.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hurricane recovery</a> – ecological, structural, economic – tends to last for years, and <a href="https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/Looking-lingering-health-effects-Hurricane/96/i37" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health impacts</a> add to the costs.</p><p>The trend in rapid intensification, especially as a storm approaches landfall, can make preparations and evacuations more difficult, if not impossible, and is bound to increase the danger to people and the costs of these disasters. Plus, we cannot forget that storms are more consistently forming before and after the official hurricane season, and that extension can signify a longer period of disaster recovery, as well as a longer period during which communities will have to stay in a state of preparedness.</p><p>Especially costly and worrisome from the point of view of preparedness and recovery is when storms hit the same area successively. Hurricane Laura hit the Louisiana Lake Charles area in August as a Category 4, one of the strongest storms to hit the state. Then Hurricane Delta hit the same general area only six weeks later, while many houses still <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">had tarps covering their roofs</a>, and people in the region, especially low-income segments of the population, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922637167/hundreds-of-thousands-without-power-after-hurricane-delta-sweeps-through-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">were far from recovered</a>.</p><p>Last but certainly not least, we are dealing with a pandemic that added to the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/kristy-dahl/as-hurricane-laura-bears-down-on-gulf-coast-data-shows-how-covid-19-may-affect-evacuations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">challenges of evacuations, sheltering, and recovery</a>. Because of the unprecedented confluence of hurricane season and the pandemic, many emergency preparedness officials <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/real-time-lessons-on-covid-19-and-us-hurricane-response-what-weve-learned-from-hanna-and-isaias" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">learned on the fly</a> how to best accommodate evacuees while trying to contain spread of the novel coronavirus.</p><p>The economic crisis from the pandemic is also leading to a lack of resources for both the people and the authorities to deal effectively with the disaster and take suitable action, something that could take years to resolve. The pandemic is of course a concern around the world, and everywhere people are scrambling to deal with these compound risks.</p>
<h3>The Need for Action</h3><p>There is an urgent need for policies and funding for equitable pre-disaster preparedness to help curtail post-disaster costs and recovery. Resources and technical assistance also must be allocated equitably so that those most in need and with the least capability of rebounding have the means to do so.</p><p>We know that human-induced global warming is making storms worse and bringing more destruction with them. We also know we have a path to reduce the carbon emissions that are driving our temperatures up. It is imperative that countries – including the U.S. – continue to increase the ambition of their pledges to reduce global warming emissions and cap warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, as promised in the Paris Agreement. Only by keeping the worst of climate change at bay will we also limit the wrath of hurricanes, saving lives, property, and resources.</p><p>But for now, any way you look at it, the unprecedented 2020 season is one for the history books.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/astrid-caldas/rapid-intensification-unprecedented-number-of-storms-make-2020-a-record-hurricane-season" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Tropical Storm Theta Is Record-Breaking 29th Storm of 2020 ... ›
- Hurricane Delta Breaks Record for Earliest 25th Named Storm ... ›
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Protesters shouting slogans on megaphones during the climate strike on September 25 in Lisbon, Portugal. Hugo Amaral / SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty Images
By Dana Drugmand
An unprecedented climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youths is to be fast-tracked at Europe's highest court, it was announced today.
The European Court of Human Rights said the case, which accuses 33 European nations of violating the applicants' right to life by disregarding the climate emergency, would be granted priority status due to the "importance and urgency of the issues raised."
<p>This is the first climate lawsuit to be filed with the <a href="https://www.echr.coe.int/Pages/home.aspx?p=home&c=" target="_blank">international court in Strasbourg, France</a>, and campaigners say the decision represents a major step towards a potential landmark judgment.</p>
‘Protect Our Future’
<p>Cláudia Agostinho (21), Catarina Mota (20), Martim Agostinho (17), Sofia Oliveira (15), André Oliveira (12) and Mariana Agostinho (8) are <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/09/03/youth-climate-lawsuit-portugal-33-european-countries" target="_blank">bringing the case</a> with nonprofit law firm Global Legal Action Network (<span style="background-color: initial;">GLAN</span>), arguing that none of the countries have sufficiently ambitious targets to cut their emissions.</p><p>Portugal recently sweltered through its <a href="https://www.ipma.pt/pt/media/noticias/news.detail.jsp?f=/pt/media/noticias/textos/resumo-clima-julho-20.html" target="_blank">hottest July in 90 years</a> and has seen a rise in devastating heatwaves and wildfires over recent years due to rising temperatures. Four of the applicants live in Leiria, one of the regions worst-hit by the forest fires that killed more than 120 people in 2017. </p><p>Responding to the development, André Oliveira, 12, said: "It gives me lots of hope to know that the judges in the European Court of Human Rights recognise the urgency of our case." </p><p>"But what I'd like the most would be for European governments to immediately do what the scientists say is necessary to protect our future. Until they do this, we will keep on fighting with more determination than ever."</p>‘Highly Significant'
<p>The decision represents a "highly significant" step, <a href="https://www.glanlaw.org/about-us" target="_blank">GLAN</a> Director Dr. Gearóid Ó Cuinn said in a <a href="https://youth4climatejustice.org/" target="_blank">press release</a>.</p><p>"This is an appropriate response from the Court given the scale and imminence of the threat these young people face from the climate emergency," he added. </p><p>By suing the 33 countries all together, the youths aim to compel these national governments to act more aggressively on climate through a single court order, which would potentially be more effective than pursuing separate lawsuits or lobbying policymakers in each country.</p><p>If successful, the defendant countries would be legally bound not only to ramp up emissions cuts, but also to tackle overseas contributions to climate change including those of their multinational enterprises.</p>‘Major Hurdle’
<p>The <a href="https://youth4climatejustice.org/the-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">countries targeted</a> include all of the European Union member states as well as Norway, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, none of which are currently aligned with <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris agreement</a> target to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and pursue a limit of 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F).<a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> </a></p><p><a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climate Action Tracker rates</a> most of Europe as "insufficient" in terms of its emissions reduction policies based on the Paris target, while Ukraine, Turkey and Russia are assessed as "critically insufficient" – meaning they are on track for a warming of 4 degrees C or higher.</p><p>The European Union has pledged to slash its emissions by <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/eu-climate-action/2030_ctp_en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at least 55 percent by 2030</a>. But the Portuguese youth plaintiffs are calling for cuts of at least 65 percent by 2030, a level that <a href="http://www.caneurope.org/energy/climate-energy-targets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">European climate campaigners say</a> is necessary to meet the 1.5 degrees warming limit.</p><p> The 33 countries must each respond to the youths' complaint by the end of February, before lawyers representing the plaintiffs will respond to the points of defense. </p><p>"Nothing less than a 65 percent reduction by 2030 will be enough for the EU member states to comply with their obligations to the youth-applicants and indeed countless others," Gerry Liston, legal officer with GLAN, said in a press release.</p><p>"These brave young people have cleared a major hurdle in their pursuit of a judgment which compels European governments to accelerate their climate mitigation efforts."</p><p><span></span><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/11/29/court-advances-landmark-youth-climate-lawsuit-against-33-european-nations" target="_blank">DeSmog</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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