CLIMATE CHANGE AND GLOBAL WARMING

[Tizer]

I've mentioned the threat from giant dams many times and now I've got to add to it threat from natural glacial dams...
`Millions face threat of flooding from glacial lakes' LINK
`Up to 15 million people face risk of catastrophic flooding from glacial lakes which could burst their natural dams at any moment, a new study finds. The study led by Newcastle University is the first global attempt to map potential hotspots for such floods.'...
And imagine the effect if a glacial dam collapses in the Himalayas and the tsunami of water runs down and into one of China's mega-dams!

[Stanley]

Your point is well taken Peter. Thank god we are a small island and don't have those problems to contemplate let alone deal with.

[Tizer]

`Revealed: 1,000 super-emitting methane leaks risk triggering climate tipping points: Vast releases of gas, along with future ‘methane bombs’, represent huge threat – but curbing emissions would rapidly reduce global heating' Guardian

The Guardian article also refers back to it's article last year: `Revealed: the ‘carbon bombs’ set to trigger catastrophic climate breakdown: Exclusive: Oil and gas majors are planning scores of vast projects that threaten to shatter the 1.5C climate goal. If governments do not act, these firms will continue to cash in as the world burns' Guardian

[Stanley]

Peter. Your post doesn't surprise me. The energy majors couldn't care less about the world, all they can see is their profit and survival. That's why they are cashing in on the energy price rise spike and still carrying on with policies that increase the chances of global warming. (So similar to the corporate response to asbestos and the actions of the tobacco companies that killed so many.) I fear that James Lovelock was right when he said that it was too late and we had passed the tipping point before he died in 2022. The bottom line is that we aren't fit to inhabit the planet and eventually nature will end our nonsense by rendering us extinct. That is pessimistic I know but it's where all the evidence points so far.

[Stanley]

The site problems over the last few days have interfered with our coverage of climate change.
See THIS message from the United Nations Secretary General. He makes clear that this report is the last chance to act. It's not yet too late but that point is being approached very quickly. We know what to do, now is the time to start doing it!

[Stanley]

Amazing how the most significant evidence on climate change is issued and sinks without a trace. I haven't seen a single reference to a government leaping up and promising to take action.
(More interested in ya-boo personal attacks in our case....)

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the report by the UK centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
"It might feel wet this week but experts are warning that parts of England need unseasonable rainfall to compensate for an abnormally dry winter. Rivers in some of England and Wales ran their lowest on record for February, according to data from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. England had its driest February for 30 years, according to the Met Office. Rivers and reservoirs that supply drinking water and feed crops rely on winter rain to top up before spring. Without "unseasonably sustained rainfall" in the coming months, South West England and East Anglia are at risk of drought, the UKCEH explains. "The wet weather and snow during the first two weeks of March has led to an increase in river flows and rewetting of the soils [but] some areas of England were starting March with below-average groundwater levels or below-average reservoir stocks," Steve Turner at UKCEH told BBC News. "
We only look at the short term weather, how it's going to affect us today. Looking at the wider picture we could be in serious trouble later in the year. Worth Googling the main report from the UKCEH.

[Tizer]

Another James Lovelock. In the 1970s I spent some time working on geochemistry of deep ocean sediments and had to learn about oceanography and atmospheric sciences and that's when I first realised how serious climate change was...
`Claude Lorius: Pioneering French climate change scientist dies aged 91' Lorius
`Claude Lorius, a leading glaciologist whose expeditions helped prove that humans were responsible for global warming, has died at the age of 91. He led 22 expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica during his lifetime. It was during one trip to Antarctica in 1965 where an evening of whiskey with ice cubes led him to prove humankind's role in the heating of the Earth's surface. Lorius died on Tuesday morning in the French region of Burgundy. It was his love of adventure which set him on the path to identifying and predicting an impending catastrophe for the planet. '...

[Stanley]

How come that's the first time I have ever heard of him?
The most important problems facing humanity and they are being ignored..... How stupid can we get?

[Tizer]

How come that's the first time I have ever heard of him?

Probably because he's French!

[Tizer]

I've warned before about the dangers of disturbing deep ocean currents. These are very different from the surface currents experienced by mariners and are very slow and usually stable....
`Antarctic ocean currents heading for collapse - report' LINK
`Rapidly melting Antarctic ice is causing a dramatic slowdown in deep ocean currents and could have a disastrous effect on the climate, a new report warns. The deep-water flows which drive ocean currents could decline by 40% by 2050, a team of Australian scientists says. The currents carry vital heat, oxygen, carbon and nutrients around the globe. Previous research suggests a slowdown in the North Atlantic current could cause Europe to become colder. The study, published in the journal Nature, also warns the slowdown could reduce ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.'...
Ocean currents

[Stanley]

However, results suggest deep water circulation in the Antarctic could slow at twice the rate of decline in the North Atlantic. "[It's] stunning to see that happen so quickly," said climatologist Alan Mix from Oregon State University, a co-author of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment. "It appears to be kicking into gear right now. That's headline news," he told Reuters.
You're right Peter. My attention wasn't on deep water currents. Another aspect of climate change that is so important but totally neglected.
I see that our plans for zero carbon are under attack as well. See THIS BBC report.
The government has unveiled a new net zero plan which has been met with intense criticism from experts and environmental groups. The document was drawn up after the High Court ruled the government's existing plans were not sufficient to meet its climate targets. A central plank of the strategy is to store CO2 under the North Sea. But scientists say even this plan will not move the UK closer towards meeting its legally-binding carbon commitments. Ministers say it also aims to lower people's energy bills, although this will not be achieved in the short term.

[Tripps]

This Swap windmills for lignite is a bit of a puzzle.

[Stanley]

I can understand why they are having to do it David. Largely a result of Angela Merkel's kneejerk reaction in closing down serviceable nuclear power stations. However what I don't understand is how they can get away with this in a democracy....
"The population from several municipalities in the area west of Cologne had to be relocated due to the Grazweiler mine expansion. In addition to the location of the wind farm, RWE is taking an area in and around the small town of Lützerath. It will be completely evicted and demolished."
Even our own dear Mr Sunak would have a problem with that.......

[Stanley]

See THIS report on Global warming.
Global temperatures of 1.5C above pre-industrial levels are now more likely than not to happen within five years, scientists have said for the first time. There is now a 66 per cent likelihood of breaching the key global warming threshold for at least a year by 2027, the World Meteorological Organisation has said in its annual update. The Paris Agreement on climate change aims to keep long-term temperature increases below 1.5C, to avoid triggering irreversible tipping points. Hitting 1.5C in one year would not mean the world has failed to limit those long-term temperature rises, understood as a 20-year average.
The question is, are we approaching an irreversible tipping point?

[Tizer]

The answer is we don't know. There are too many factors involved already and we keep discovering more. And it's not just about the climate, increased migration is bringing a greater danger of pandemics, the world is becoming politically more unstable, AI could run out of control and human intelligence seems to be waning. Barring a gigantic asteroid strike, Earth will still be here in the year 2100 but I wouldn't place a bet on the human race being here.

[Stanley]

Certainly not in the numbers at present alive.
I share your concerns Peter. I do not see how the crisis of migration that we are experiencing now will do anything but get worse as the climate changes and makes some parts of the world virtually uninhabitable while at the same time interrupting food supplies.
I often think when reading accounts explaining why asylum seekers head for the UK that one of the reasons is that we are as far west as people can get before hitting a natural barrier, the Atlantic. The US has migrant problems but not from landings on its Eastern seaboard, by land from the south.

[Tripps]

I checked yesterday to see if my car was liable for the London ULEZ charge. (Ultra Low Emission Zone)

Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
This vehicle meets the ULEZ emissions standards
You do not need to pay a daily ULEZ charge to drive in the zone, and are helping to improve air quality across London.
However, if you see the Congestion Charge displayed below, you will need to pay that daily charge to drive in central London.


I was quite surprised to discover that - since it has a diesel engine. Not sure I understand it all.

[Stanley]

I'm glad I don't have a car. It would be nice to have the convenience but the minefield of expense and regulation today takes all the fun out of it!

[plaques]

Without a car a trip out is literally a DAY trip out. A hospital visit becomes a logistical nightmare. This often involves taxis to the bus station. Changing buses to get somewhere near the hospital and then perhaps another taxi to the hospital. This assumes that the appointment time can be achieved within these parameters.
I agree street parking is almost impossible and less than desirable. Car parks need careful study on time limits often requiring an extended payment just to make sure you don't overrun your stay.

[Stanley]

Tell me about it Ken! That was the story of my cancer treatment at Airedale. It's the main reason why I refuse all hospital treatment now, its simply too difficult/expensive to get there.
(If you don't believe me investigate the ways to get to Airedale from Barlick.)

[Stanley]

See THIS for an intersting example of capturing solar energy.
In a drive to boost clean energy production, the French Senate recently approved legislation that makes it mandatory for all existing and new car parks with 80 spaces or more to be covered by solar panels. While there is no equivalent requirement in the UK, solar car parks have been around for years and there are signs that they are beginning to boom here. With electricity prices currently still elevated, many businesses are turning to on-site renewables to try to keep costs down in the long run. There is a huge opportunity to turn more British car parks into solar farms, according to a new report published by the countryside charity CPRE and the UCL Energy Institute. "We think the total potential in the built environment is about 117GW," says Prof Mark Barrett of UCL. "And of that, 11GW, we think, is car parks."
Is there a clue here for a government obsessed with mega-projects?

[PanBiker]

Without a car a trip out is literally a DAY trip out. A hospital visit becomes a logistical nightmare. This often involves taxis to the bus station. Changing buses to get somewhere near the hospital and then perhaps another taxi to the hospital.

All dependent on where you are going of course. I think I am lucky in my regular trips to Leeds LGI and Jimmies. Both destinations are considerably easier using public transport. I can get to either in a little over an hour. 20 minutes on the bus from Barlick to Skipton, 40 minutes on the train to Leeds, five minutes walk the a 10 or 20 minute bus depending on destination. I only pay for the train of course and if booked in advance is cheaper than driving and parking.

[Tizer]

`How warming oceans are driving the climate juggernaut' LINK (article by Justin Rowlatt, Climate editor, BBC News)
Have a look at the Atlantic heat map - a picture is worth a thousand words!

[Big Kev]

Tell me about it Ken! That was the story of my cancer treatment at Airedale. It's the main reason why I refuse all hospital treatment now, its simply too difficult/expensive to get there.
(If you don't believe me investigate the ways to get to Airedale from Barlick.)

I chose to use Burnley General for the services they provide, it's one bus ride from Foulridge which can sometimes be easier than taking the car, and currently cheaper as all bus journeys are £2 at the moment. A bit more involved getting to Blackburn hospital, this would involve the £2 bus journey to Burnley General and then the free shuttle bus to Blackburn "Shuttle Bus :: East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust" https://elht.nhs.uk/services/shuttle-bus