Abrupt Loss of Arctic Sea-Ice // Published on Jun 13, 2018
Persistent cyclones churning up Arctic sea-ice are bad news. Maximum Arctic sea-ice savagery occurred in 2012 from a massive long-lived August cyclone leading to the outstanding record September sea-ice minimum. We just had a big one in early June.
There is almost no thicker multi-year ice left in the Arctic; what is left is thin, brittle, slushy, darker, and honeycombed with saline pockets like Swiss cheese. It won’t be around much longer; it is headed to oblivion. Russia and the USA seem happy with this. Little do they know.
The rapid strengthening & weakening of Hurricane Bud.
Truly truly distressing news from the Antarctic today, where a new study finds ice loss has tripled over the last decade. That's a strong sign that things are coming unglued, and that we need to act very fast to go fossil-freehttps://t.co/6CJuYTMJR9
Climate change will increase the risk of simultaneous crop failures across the world's biggest corn-growing regions and lead to less of the nutritionally critical vegetables#ActOnClimate#ClimateChangehttps://t.co/GuU4QXkcbL
It is estimated that if the world stays on its current greenhouse gas emissions path, rising fine dust levels could increase premature deaths by 130% and triple hospitalizations due to fine dust exposure in this region.#ActOnClimate#ClimateChangehttps://t.co/AsUotTdzXW
Baobab trees can live for 2,500 years. They've seen empires rise and fall. But in the last 12 years, the oldest and biggest ones have either died or started dying.@extinctsymbolhttps://t.co/F050Kyk2kH
Climate System Tipping to Ice-Free Arctic // Published on Jun 13, 2018
Abrupt change always surprises people. Why? With climate we expect it now. Change that always happens “faster than expected” can not be good for us.
We have stretched our climate to the limit; it is now broken. Like a twig or rubber band that has snapped. We have exceeded resilience limits of the system, and it is now undergoing accelerating, out-of-control change to a much warmer planet, with a warm Arctic and a drunken, meandering, weaker, almost psychotic jet stream.
Unguided storms wander around like a wrecking-ball on steroids, wreaking havoc on humans and their stuff…
———- ———-
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
Cows, Pigs, and Chickens Dominate Our Planet // Published on Jun 6, 2018
New jaw-dropping peer-reviewed science paper: farmed poultry makes up 70% of all birds on Earth, with just 30% being wild. Even worse: 60% of all mammals are livestock, like cattle and pigs, 36% are human and just 4% are wild animals.
Humans have decimated life everywhere on Earth, including remote regions like the poles and deep oceans. Lots of the extra carbon in the atmosphere/oceans used to be safely stored in plants/animals. Restoring a healthy biosphere would do wonders for restoring a healthy climate.
———- ———-
Human Decimation of Earth’s Creatures // Published on May 29, 2018
Earth’s 7.6 billion people represent an eeny-weeny-itsy-bitsy proportion of all living things; in fact only 0.01% or 100 ppm of total biomass. Yet, since the dawn of civilization, humanity has reduced global biomass (weight of all life) by half, and have destroyed a stunning, pants dropping 83% of all wild mammals [1].
And we are just warming up (pun intended). I discuss findings from a new peer-reviewed study on the biomass distribution on Earth [dk, see link below], and how we have changed it over time. Not good.
‘Groundbreaking assessment of all life on Earth reveals humanity’s surprisingly tiny part in it as well as our disproportionate impact.
‘Humankind is revealed as simultaneously insignificant and utterly dominant in the grand scheme of life on Earth by a groundbreaking new assessment of all life on the planet.
The world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, according to the study. Yet since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants, while livestock kept by humans abounds.’
———- ———–
[1] ‘The biomass distribution on Earth, Yinon M. Bar-On, Rob Phillips, and Ron Milo
PNAS May 21, 2018. 201711842; published ahead of print May 21, 2018, Edited by Paul G. Falkowski, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, and approved April 13, 2018 (received for review July 3, 2017).
Significance ‘The composition of the biosphere is a fundamental question in biology, yet a global quantitative account of the biomass of each taxon is still lacking. We assemble a census of the biomass of all kingdoms of life. This analysis provides a holistic view of the composition of the biosphere and allows us to observe broad patterns over taxonomic categories, geographic locations, and trophic modes.
Abstract ‘A census of the biomass on Earth is key for understanding the structure and dynamics of the biosphere. However, a global, quantitative view of how the biomass of different taxa compare with one another is still lacking. Here, we assemble the overall biomass composition of the biosphere, establishing a census of the ≈550 gigatons of carbon (Gt C) of biomass distributed among all of the kingdoms of life. We find that the kingdoms of life concentrate at different locations on the planet; plants (≈450 Gt C, the dominant kingdom) are primarily terrestrial, whereas animals (≈2 Gt C) are mainly marine, and bacteria (≈70 Gt C) and archaea (≈7 Gt C) are predominantly located in deep subsurface environments’. Continues at link.
———- ———-
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
Severe Global Water Cycle Shifts from Abrupt Climate Change // Published on May 27, 2018
Freshwater availability for drinking is being disrupted around Earth.
Same for irrigation water relied upon to grow many crops. Soils are drying out and groundwater is being depleted much faster than it can be recharged. Alpine glacier water storage in snow and ice is collapsing, and extreme droughts in some places and torrential rains with floods in other places is accelerating [1], [2].
I discuss Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) measurements from GRACE satellites, and changes around Earth from 2002 to 2016, while the satellites ran.
———- ———-
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
———- ———–
[1] ‘This is an eye-opener’: Changes in global water supply hint at future conflicts and crises“: ‘By combining 14 years’ worth of satellite data, scientists have captured a startling portrait of the world’s water supply undergoing rapid transformation. The new analysis points to areas where there is increasing potential for conflict as a growing demand for water collides with the impacts of climate change. In Canada, the maps shows shifting water supplies that include wetter, more flood-prone regions in many areas of the country but a general drying out in the western sub-Arctic.’ Article continues at link.
Abstract: ‘Freshwater availability is changing worldwide. Here we quantify 34 trends in terrestrial water storage observed by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites during 2002–2016 and categorize their drivers as natural interannual variability, unsustainable groundwater consumption, climate change or combinations thereof.
‘Several of these trends had been lacking thorough investigation and attribution, including massive changes in northwestern China and the Okavango Delta. Others are consistent with climate model predictions. This observation-based assessment of how the world’s water landscape is responding to human impacts and climate variations provides a blueprint for evaluating and predicting emerging threats to water and food security’. Continues at link, above.
What Happens In The Arctic, Does NOT Stay In The Arctic // Published on May 11, 2018
The Arctic is NOT like Las Vegas. What happens there, specifically the rapid darkening due to loss of sea-ice and snow cover is causing accelerated heating, which is disrupting global weather patterns. Extreme weather events around the planet are increasing in frequency of occurrence, intensity, and duration; wreaking havoc on human infrastructure. As the Arctic continues to darken, and heat up, these disruptions to our weather and climate will greatly magnify, and threatens global food supplies.
———- ———-
A Day (Night) in the Life of a Climate Scientist:
I often work late days, getting in late and staying late at night, continuing on my lifelong habit as a night owl. I was returning home from the university about 2 am last night, when I arrived in front of my house and saw a movement inside my car parked on the street in front of my house. It was a very dark night, and the street lights are poor.
I approached the car and couldn’t believe it was mine, so walked behind it verifying my license plate. A dude jumped out of the car, placed a wad of Canadian Tire money in my hand, and bolted to his bike and took off. Fortunately, it had rained that morning and I was carrying an umbrella. I ran behind his bike, and jammed my umbrella between his spokes on the back wheel.
He wiped out, got up fast, and bolted again, running and then jumping on his bike. We repeated this umbrella trick a few more times before he evaded my reach and rode off at top speed. I counted out the wad of Canadian tire money in my hand; it was a grand total of 85 cents. No damage to my car; my wife had forgot to lock it up.
In reflection afterwards, walking past my house and calling the police would have been a better plan. Live and learn. Something new every day!
———– ———– Extinction Radio Episode 87, 7th May, 2018 – Paul Beckwith, Carolyn Baker
Video is shared at part two, from 06:00 to 1:01:52 mark: Interview: Paul Beckwith interviewed by Jennifer Hynes (famed, and justly highly regarded climate generalist, of Methane Monster kind, dk).
———- ———– Arctic Temperature Amplification Mechanisms // Published on May 7, 2018
Rapid climate change on Earth does not change everywhere at the same rates. Since 1950, the Arctic heating pace is double that of the global average. HOWEVER, more recently, according to US CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability), the Arctic has been warming SIX times faster than the global average. Mostly, this is due to darkening of the Arctic, from exponentially declining sea-ice and snow cover, but there are additional feedback mechanisms as well that I discuss here.
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
———- ———-
Methane Venting Into Air Over Arctic Sea Ice // Published on Apr 27, 2018
Humanity, we have a problem. We are venting methane into the Arctic.
Why? How much? How fast?
What does it mean for abrupt climate change?
What does it mean for Arctic temperatures, sea-ice, and global extreme weather whiplashing?
Using European Satellite Data (Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service; CAMS) I show that methane is now venting into the air at the surface in the Arctic in the Kara Sea off the Russian Island of Novaya Zemlya.
It must be seeping from the ocean floor, bubbling up through the shallow water column and working its way through the sea ice cover.
You may recall that many large “methane craters” have been discovered lately on the Yamal Peninsula (полуо́стров Яма́л) which juts out into the Kara Sea in this region. This is not good for humanity.
And Paul reminds us that not only are donations appreciated, but go directly to and are used entirely for his research, effort, search for new ideas or solutions, webpage production, his operating expenses like reference materials, books, and travel when they occur. Easy to use donate button shared below, using links at bottom of post (Editor/webpage producer, dk).
———- ———-
Abrupt Climate Change, Driving Weather Mayhem: Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We are Going.
———- ———-
Paul was on the air live Thursday night, streamed live with Dane Wigington of GeoEngineering Watch, and author, Economist and Financial Analyst Patrick Wood, at WBAI 99.5 FM, New York, NY.
This was on the radio show, In Other News, hosted by Geoff Brady: Climate Change Scam? Or Global Warming Rising. Link not yet available, but here is the archive location, for zealous fans, end users, and deep students of the climate change discussion phenomenon.
———- ———-
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
———- ———-
Ongoing Chernobyl and Fukushima Disasters // Published on Apr 26, 2018
Thirty two years ago the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine melted down. Huge radiation releases occurred; estimates are 10x higher than Fukushima. Official deaths are ridiculously low (9,000 people). New analysis recently by Russian scientists assesses the death toll range as 1 to 1.5 million people. Fukushima deaths: 200,000 people within 10 years and 400,000 people within 50 years.
———- ———-
Assessing the Ever Greater Risks of Extreme Weather Events to Nuclear Power Plants // Published on Apr 24, 2018
Abrupt climate change disruption to global heat flow in the atmosphere and oceans is amping up extreme weather events, increasing risks to nuclear power plants. Heat waves and droughts dry up rivers making the water too hot to cool reactors. Rising sea level and larger storms will flood coastal reactors; eg. powerful hurricanes in 2017 posed a huge threat to Florida reactors, not to mention tsunamis on top of higher sea levels (Japan).
Ref: Consequences of reactor failures, using Chernobyl and Fukushima as examples are analyzed [1]. Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment, Volume 1181 (Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences) 1st Edition [2], Chernobyl Contamination: An Overview, Vassily B. Nesterenko Alexey V. Yablokov–First published: 30 November 2009 [3].
———- ———-
[1] Pr A.Yablokov and Pr C.Busby on Fukushima victim estimations, link to video. ‘Alexey Yablokov and Chris Busbyparticipated in the International Radioactivity Risk Kongress in Berlin 6-8.03.2011 [editor, dk: link to download, not facsimile]. Alexey Yablokov´s with colleges V. B. Nesterenko and A. V. Nesterenko estimation of 1,5 million early deaths in the after Chernobyl period until 2004. Yablokov mentions even his college Khudoley, V.V. from N. N. Petrov’ Research Institute of Oncology, Center of Independent Environmental Expertise, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
‘Yablokov urges to establish rad-monitoring of foods and water, mentioning even marine life forms. He offers the sufficient experience from Chernobyl in areas of Bio Technologies. In the very end of this sequence he even points out the crucial need of independent civil systems for measurement of radiation as industry and state constantly conceal the data, being trapped in the current systems. Yablokov strikes that data based on the ICRP estimation of dose are unscientific and incorrect, leaving governments with unreliable risk estimation models. He even informs that the radioactive milk could be reprocessed to be safe again, as there are BioTechnolgies developed for that.’ Article continues with link.
[2] ‘This volume, written by leading authorities from Eastern Europe, outlines the history of the health and environmental consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. Although there has been much discussion concerning the impacts of nuclear accidents, and Chernobyl in particular, never before has there been a comprehensive presentation of all the available information concerning the health and environmental effects of the low dose radioactive contaminants that were emitted from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
‘The official discussions emanating from the IAEA and associated UN agencies (e.g. the Chernobyl Forum reports) have largely downplayed or ignored many of the findings reported in the Eastern European scientific literature and as a consequence these reports have erred on the side of negative findings simply because much of what was known was not included in their assessments. This new book provides a complete and extensive summary of all known research, including that published in Russian and Ukrainian, and provides new insights to the likely long term health and environmental consequences of nuclear accidents.‘
[3] Chernobyl Contamination: An Overview, link to abstract.
———- ———-
Please consider donating to support my work. I put a lot of time and effort into researching, studying and producing my videos so that you can learn how quickly our world is changing.
Donating does not need a PayPal account, but simply a credit card. Please click here.
———- ———-
Well known and respected creator of entertaining and comprehensible videos of sometimes daunting subjects, especially in climate system science, meteorology, oceanography and Earth Sciences at YouTube.
Frequently called upon for commentary by fellow educators, activists, and public. Physicist, Engineer, and part-time professor at the University of Ottawa. He is in a Ph.D. program, with a focus on Abrupt Climate System Change.
