Just for fun.
- 3rd talking point - The third thing Big Oil will try to do is to make people believe that climate change is not such a big deal. Either they call people trying to communicate the dangers of global warming “alarmists” or they simply don’t talk about the climate crisis at all.
another hook, line and sinker
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
- NASA – January 2021 was the 6th warmest January since adequate global data began in 1880, at +0.86⁰C relative to the 1951-1980 base period and +1.17⁰C relative to the 1880-1920 mean.
Data.GISS:
GISS Surface Temperature Analysis (GISTEMP v4)
- Biden's climate executive orders are a mini-Green New Deal
Imagine a deployment of federal investments to curb U.S. greenhouse gas emissions from various sectors including electricity, transportation, and agriculture, with the goal of creating millions of jobs and an eye on correcting environmental injustices in the process.
It sounds just like what was outlined in the February 2019 House Green New Deal Resolution, but also describes President Biden’s new Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Although he disavowed the Green New Deal on the presidential campaign trail, Biden’s latest climate executive order adheres closely to its framework.
Though smaller in scale, given that executive orders only apply to federal agency actions rather than the nation as a whole, this effort could reasonably be described as a mini-Green New Deal.
To curb greenhouse gas emissions, the climate crisis executive order targets the electricity and transportation sectors, combined responsible for more than half of American carbon pollution. The order calls on federal agencies to use “all available procurement authorities to achieve or facilitate:
i) a carbon pollution-free electricity sector no later than 2035; and
(ii) clean and zero-emission vehicles for federal, state, local, and tribal government fleets, including vehicles of the United States Postal Service.”
The executive order, applicable only to federal agencies and properties, also notes, “the plan shall recommend any additional legislation needed to accomplish these objectives.” EPA can use the order to justify regulating fossil fuel pollution, but given the legal challenges to EPA’s previous power plant greenhouse gas regulation efforts under the Clean Power Plan first launched by the Obama/Biden administration in 2015, reaching the goal of zero emissions from the electricity sector by 2035 may require legislation from Congress. That’s a plausible but challenging prospect.
The directive for government fleets to transition to zero-emissions vehicles may be one of the most consequential components of President Biden’s climate executive orders. The transportation sector accounts for the largest chunk of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at 28%. Unlike in the electricity sector, where emissions have steadily declined over the past decade as coal is replaced by cheaper and cleaner alternatives, transportation emissions remain stagnant at 2005 levels. Electric vehicles over time are expected to substantially reduce the transportation sector carbon footprint, especially when fueled by a steadily cleaner electric grid. But for now, EVs and plug-in hybrids account for just 2% of new U.S. vehicle sales. The average lifespan of a passenger car is close to 12 years, so turnover to cleaner alternatives will take time.
A focus on climate jobs
At the executive order signing ceremony January 27, President Biden said, “When I think of climate, I think of jobs,” and that mindset is evident in the orders. Biden took office with the U.S. unemployment rate at 6.4%, which is about halfway between the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 (10%) and the pre-COVID low of 3.5% a year ago. As the country slowly recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, there are still nearly 11 million Americans looking for jobs. Tackling the climate crisis could provide ample employment opportunities.
For example, the executive order calls for the establishment of a Civilian Climate Corps that will create jobs “to conserve and restore public lands and waters, bolster community resilience, increase reforestation, increase carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector, protect biodiversity, improve access to recreation, and address the changing climate.” It harkens back to the Civilian Conservation Corps created in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the original New Deal, which employed 3 million young men over a nine-year period in jobs relating to the conservation and development of natural resources. Green New Deal proponents Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash pushed for the creation of a climate corps from their positions on Biden’s climate task force. Much of the detail on how the new effort will work remain to be determined over the next three months, as cabinet-level positions fill in the blanks.
The order also aims to create jobs in clean technology sectors by stipulating that in making procurement decisions for EVs, clean energy, and energy efficiency, federal agencies will follow Biden’s Made in America executive order, which requires that such products be purchased from American businesses whenever possible.
Environmental justice and natural carbon sequestration
Also like the original incarnation of the Green New Deal, Biden’s climate crisis executive order focuses heavily on environmental justice – directing funding towards communities of color and low-income Americans disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel pollution, and revitalizing communities whose economies and jobs have historically relied on fossil fuels.
The order outlines the administration’s policy “to secure environmental justice and spur economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that have been historically marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care.” It also establishes the Justice40 Initiative to recommend how federal investments can be made in a way that directs 40% of benefits to disadvantaged communities.: Biden's climate executive orders are a mini-Green New Deal >> Yale Climate Connections - Federal Register
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Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad - Federal Register
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President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
- NASA doing 'preparatory work' for climate push, acting chief says
NASA is getting ready for the Biden administration’s expected boost in climate science research, the agency’s acting head told POLITICO on Tuesday.
Steve Jurczyk, who worked at NASA for more than three decades before becoming acting administrator last month, said he will have a better idea of the Biden administration’s space priorities at the end of this month, when the White House gives NASA feedback on its fiscal 2022 budget request that was drafted under the prior administration.
But from early conversations with the White House, NASA is already reviewing its Earth science portfolio for ways to pick up the pace.
“We're just taking a look at our Earth science decadal survey … and the missions that would get to make those measurements to particularly support climate research and looking at how we might accelerate those,” Jurczyk said in an interview. “We're doing some preparatory work expecting that that's going to be a request when we hear back from the OMB on the pass back.”
One program that could potentially be accelerated is the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory Pathfinder program, which measures sunlight reflected by the Earth more accurately than existing tools to improve climate models.
“[There will be] more conversations around exactly what we're going to accelerate there, but the CLARREO Pathfinders is an example of something that I know will move forward,” he said.
Many expect an increased focus on climate science and on diversity in STEM. Have there been any changes yet?
Not yet, although you're exactly right. Those are the priorities we're hearing our discussion with the new administration, so there's no surprise there. We're just taking a look at our Earth science decadal survey … and the missions that would get to make those measurements to particularly support climate research and looking at how we might accelerate those.: NASA doing 'preparatory work' for climate push, acting chief says - POLITICO
Fossil fuels are also finite, particularly the way they have and are being extracted. Ever more complex and expensive solutions required to extract raw materials.
Sustainable and environmentally friendly resources are likely to be around much, much longer.
Even If anthropogenic impacts are uncertain, it still makes sense to deploy cleaner and ultimately cheaper, sources of energy.
There were over 100 years reserves of coal under the UK by the time it’s demise came as a dirty, expensive industry.
'Daily Caller'? Too lazy or thick to write even a line about the article
Also in this publication:
And it just goes on and on
'Urgent' rush to exploit needs to dump billions on Democrats' agenda
oops wrong thread
NOAA - January 2021 global land and ocean surface temperature was 0.80°C (1.44°F) above the 20th century average and ranked as the seventh warmest January in the 142-year global records.
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) formerly known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) | NCEI offers access to the most significant archives of oceanic, atmospheric, geophysical and coastal data.
Michael Mann - 4 years lost
'We can see the fingerprint of human influence on our climate': Michael Mann
How every part of the world has warmed – and could continue to warm
Climate change is often communicated by looking at the global average temperature. But a global average might not mean much to the average person. How the climate is likely to change specifically where people live is, in most cases, a much more important consideration.
Examples……….
Miami
Bangkok
London
Mapped: How every part of the world has warmed – and could continue to warm | Carbon Brief
Just for you Harry
Oil Giants Prepare to Put Carbon Back in the Ground - The New York Times
I don't think there is anyone out there who disagrees that the world is warming up. what some want to argue is that it is not due to human activity but rather due to natural cycles.
These are the same people who constantly complain about pollution and how it is destroying the planet, but global warming? Noooo human activity is not responsible for that . Some even claim that CO2 is good for vegetation , and somehow good for them .
Something that I have difficulty arguing with since they seem to be mental vegetables.
The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.
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