The John James Newsletter 196
9 September 2017
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One thing on which science is very clear is that the strongest storms will get stronger because global heating has made the oceans warmer
Michael Mann
The storm ripped through the oil fields, forcing rigs and refineries to shut down, including those owned by some of the 25 companies that have produced over half the greenhouse gas emissions. It devastated a place in which climate breakdown is generated, and in which the policies that prevent it from being addressed are formulated
George Monbiot
Irma is without precedent
Puerto Rico Governor, Ricardo Rossello
From Hurricane Irma potential impacts include structural damage to sturdy buildings, some with complete roof and wall failure, complete destruction of mobile homes, damage greatly accentuated by large airborne projectiles; locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months
US National Hurricane Centre
The kilogram was standardised in 1889 using the mass of a well-polished cylinder made of platinum-iridium; But it is not constant as it gains about 50 micrograms every century from accumulated dust
International Committee of Weights and Measures
Artificial Intellighence comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world
Vladimir Putin
The annual number of large wildfires has tripled since the 1970s and the land they burn is six times larger
Climate Central
NASA satellites are tracking hurricanes Katia, Irma and Jose and the images are staggering
Watch this for the full image
The image below shows the temperature of the ocean and warm ocean temperatures feed hurricanes marked 1-5
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/08/nasa-satellites-are-tracking-hurricanes-katia-irma-and-jose.html
The media avoids the subject of climate breakdown
It is not only Donald Trump’s government that censors the discussion of climate change; it is the entire body of polite opinion. This is why, though the links are clear and obvious, the majority of news reports on Hurricane Harvey have made no mention of the human contribution. In 2016, the US elected a president who believes that human-driven global warming is a hoax. It was the hottest year on record, in which the US was hammered by a series of climate-related disasters. Yet the total combined coverage for the entire year on the evening and Sunday news programmes on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News amounted to 50 minutes. Our greatest predicament, the issue that will define our lives, has been blotted from our minds. This is not an accident.
http://monbiot.com/2017/09/02/dont-look-now/
Google Censorship – How It Works
Contrary to earlier utopian theories of the Internet, it takes very little effort for governments to cause certain information simply to vanish for a huge number of people.
http://sethf.com/anticensorware/general/google-censorship.php
Try Bing.com or Yahoo.com instead of Google.com
Top 15 Most Popular Search Engines | July 2017
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/search-engines
It’s the Biggest Scandal in Tech (and no one’s talking about it)
The fact that 60% of advertising “clicks” are in fact NOT coming from humans; they are generated bots or automated algorithms that don’t buy anything. EVER. The tech giants, Facebook and Alphabet (formerly Google), make the bulk of their money by charging advertisers or every click the ads receive. The more traffic these the higher the charge.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-31/its-biggest-scandal-tech-and-no-ones-talking-about-it
UK citizens are taking air pollution monitoring into their own hands
Thousands of people are using home air quality monitoring kits due to fears official figures are not capturing dangerous pollution levels, say Friends of the Earth
Polluted Air Might Cause More Than Twice as Many Deaths as Previously Thought
Long-term exposure to ozone air pollution could be linked to as many as one million deaths per year.
https://futurism.com/polluted-air-might-cause-more-than-twice-as-many-deaths-as-previously-thought/
The End of Fossil-Fuelled Cars – A THOROUGH STUDY
Is the electric vehicle revolution on track to take over from fossil-fuel vehicles in the coming decades? If yes, will the revolution happen fast enough to be consistent with the Paris 2°C warming cap and net zero emissions not too long after 2050?
https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/03/end-fossil-fuelled-cars/
Australia’s record-breaking winter warmth linked to climate change
Australia’s average daytime maximum temperatures were the highest on record for this winter, beating the previous record set in 2009 by 0.3℃. This means Australia has set new seasonal highs for maximum temperatures ten times so far this century (across summer, autumn, winter and spring).
https://theconversation.com/australias-record-breaking-winter-warmth-linked-to-climate-change-83304
Hurricane Harvey’s impact on the US oil industry
As hurricane Harvey strikes the heart of the US oil and gas industry, we examine the potential global repercussions. Two million refugees, almost $200 billion cost. One third US refining capacity swamped. As no environmental regulations now very dangerous to enter the area and rebuild. More than 2 million pounds of toxins released into atmosphere. 4m barrels now offline.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/countingthecost/
Don’t mention the climate: what’s missing from flood and wildfire reporting
The physics are elementary: as global temperatures rise evaporation from the oceans increases, forming migrating cyclonic cells. The moisture needs to be dumped somewhere. Lightning strikes ignite forest fires. As temperatures rise hot air plumes migrate from desert regions into cultivated and forest regions, creating conditions for wildfires. The rise in land temperatures results in an increased frequency and intensity of heatwaves and fires, at a rate about two to three fold during 1980–2012.
We have to think forward to see where the current increases are leading us. As you can see in the next chart the likelihood of more warm winters increases with global temperatures. So, the question is not only about making winters cosier, but of our food too? Many crops need the frost to set, most cereals production may be a fifth less at 2C, the seas will continue to store more heat that will make Hurricane Harvey look pretty small, and the impact on the great ice sheets is unfathomable. Its the consequences that will matter to us, not the immediate impact of being a little hotter.
We will have less food, less fertile land, and assuredly, less insurance and government subsidies. And all this with a burgeoning number of mouths to feed. This accelerating trend is not good news.
In fact, its disastrous.
Devastating floods in Africa killed 25 times more people than Hurricane Harvey
Some of the devastation in Texas can be cleaned up. However, much of the flooding in Africa intensified due to years of inadequate drainage systems and poor infrastructure. While officials successfully rescued some Texas residents, those in Africa weren’t afforded the same relief as non-stop rain and mudslides claimed over 1,200 lives in August.
Irma, Katia and Jose: Trio of hurricanes
Hurricane scientists say they’ve “never seen anything like this in the modern record”. “I have little doubt Irma will go down as one of the most infamous in Atlantic hurricane history,” This will be the first time three hurricanes could make landfall simultaneously. There is still almost three months left of the season, which runs until November 30.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-08/irma-katia-and-jose-hurricane-trio-baffles-scientists/8884834
PIC
Consequences of Not Certifying Iran’s Compliance
- Fortify Iran’s current allegations that the US, not Iran, is in violation of the JCPOA.
- Return Iran to becoming an imminent nuclear threat should it decide to resume its production of fissile material.
- Embolden Iran’s security forces to escalate military ventures in the Middle East.
It would weaken Iranians who support reforms.
- Isolate the U. by providing Europe, China and Russia the opportunity to continue trade and investment opportunities with Iran.
- Undermine US world leadership and the US dollar as a global reserve currency.
http://lobelog.com/consequences-of-not-certifying-irans-compliance-with-the-jcpoa/
The true cost of keeping the Liddell power plant open
The latest suggestion amounts to deferring serious investment in renewables for a while, fixing up some of the old coal plants up so they can run a few more years, and buying time in the hope of keeping power prices down.
https://theconversation.com/the-true-cost-of-keeping-the-liddell-power-plant-open-83634
99% of The Microbes in Our Own Bodies Are Still a Total Mystery to Science
There are about 50 trillion microbes in our bodies, give or take 20 trillion! Of all the non-human DNA collected during the research, 99 percent of it didn’t match anything in existing genetic databases. That’s one of those ‘wow’ moments for scientists.
https://futurism.com/99-of-the-microbes-in-our-own-bodies-are-still-a-total-mystery-to-science/
Now Russia and China state they WILL NOT ALLOW war in the Korean peninsular. How will the war-mongers deal with that? The US will have to lessen their threats and accept negotiation. Who will save face?
Kim Jong-un’s nuclear ambition: what is North Korea’s endgame?
As a country that believes the US and its allies pose a significant threat, nuclear weapons are increasingly seen as the only way it can protect itself. While North Korea has a very large military – its defence force is comprised of nearly 1.2 million people – its equipment is badly outdated, and would perform poorly in a fight with US or South Korean forces. Nuclear weapons are thus a way to maximise the chances of regime survival in what North Korea thinks is a hostile international environment.
https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-uns-nuclear-ambition-what-is-north-koreas-endgame-83428
Oil Transit Chokepoints
World chokepoints for maritime transit of oil are a critical part of global energy security. About 61% of the world’s petroleum move on maritime routes. The Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca are the world’s most important strategic chokepoints.
https://www.eia.gov/beta/international/regions-topics.cfm?RegionTopicID=WOTC
Supermassive black hole discovered near heart of the Milky Way
An enormous black hole one hundred thousand times more massive than the sun has been found hiding in a toxic gas cloud wafting around near the heart of the Milky Way. The invisible behemoth will rank as the second largest black hole ever seen in the Milky Way after the supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A that is anchored at the very centre of the galaxy.
Syrian rebel defector says his US-trained unit sold arms to ISIS
Not only were the US-backed ‘moderate’ militants in southern Syria never meant to fight ISIS, but their commanders actually traded US-made weapons and ammunition to terrorists
https://www.rt.com/news/401672-syria-rebel-isis-us-weapons/
Extreme weather events linked to climate change impact on the jet stream
Unprecedented summer warmth and flooding, forest fires, drought and torrential rain—extreme weather events are occurring more and more often, but now an international team of climate scientists has found a connection between many extreme weather events and the impact climate change is having on the jet stream.
https://phys.org/news/2017-03-extreme-weather-events-linked-climate.html
A Visibly Extreme Jet Stream in Advance of Irma
Classic ridge-trough pattern increases the likelihood of certain kinds of extreme weather patterns and events. One that these scientists associate with polar warming set off by human-caused climate change.
https://robertscribbler.com/2017/09/07/a-visibly-extreme-jet-stream-in-advance-of-irma/
83% of Tap Water Around the Globe Tested Positive for Tiny Plastic Fibres
The US had the highest levels of contamination, with 94% of its 33 samples testing positive for plastic fibres. Sources of contaminated tap water in the US included Congressional buildings, Trump Tower, and even the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. “We have enough data from looking at wildlife, and the impacts that it’s having on wildlife, to be concerned. If it’s impacting them, then how do we think that it’s not going to impact on us?”
I noticed that I was unable to access this through Google (!!)
Jimmy Carter: “They Want a Peace Treaty to Replace the [1953] Ceasefire”
The North Koreans emphasised that they wanted peaceful relations with the US, but were convinced that we planned a preemptive military strike against them. They wanted a peace treaty to replace the ceasefire agreement that has existed since the end of the Korean War. “They have made it clear to me that until they get a treaty their first priority is to ensure that their military is capable of destroying a large part of Seoul and of responding strongly in other ways to any American attack”.
Inside the Hotbeds of Israeli Settler Terror
For one individual’s story go to just after 12.00.
Abby Martin goes on-the-ground to the epicenters of state-backed settler terrorism in Palestine’s West Bank, her report on illegal Israeli settlements and home demolitions. She visits both the rural countryside of Duma and the urban center of Hebron, a glaring example of Israeli apartheid under intense military occupation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGz2yM_6q8
Thousands of Arab-Israelis to have citizenship revoked
Hundreds of Arab-Israeli Bedouins in the southern Negev region have their citizenship revoked, using a law usually reserved for people convicted of terrorist activities. Because in these cases citizenship was granted by mistake or to those that registered “erroneously” between 1948 and 1951.
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5010825,00.html
Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Breakthrough Achieved
One of the biggest issues facing electric cars is range. While EVs might be ideal for inner city commuting or short distances, anything over 200 miles and even an advanced car like the forthcoming Tesla Model 3 is going to need a recharge. This of course takes time, so it makes long distances a challenge for electric vehicles to overcome. Now scientists from Stanford University have made a significant step towards getting round this problem – by successfully transferring electricity wirelessly to a moving object.
https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/04/wireless-electric-vehicle-charging-breakthrough-achieved/
Climate change blamed as EU’s forest fires nearly treble in 2017
There have been 1,068 blazes in 2017 – a huge increase on the 404 the bloc saw annually on average over the previous eight years. Experts have blamed climate change for the rise, saying it has extended the traditional wildfire season and will rage more often in the future and engulf new areas. Portugal, Italy and Croatia have battled blazes in recent days amid high temperatures and lower-than-normal rainfall.
http://www.euronews.com/2017/08/15/how-europe-s-wildfires-have-more-than-trebled-in-2017
France wildfires force mass evacuation
Some 4,000 hectares (15.4 sq miles) of land have burned along the Mediterranean coast, in the mountainous interior and on the island of Corsica.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40725294
Canada is ablaze amid record heatwave
Scientists have long predicted that global warming would lead to more wildfires in both the defrosting Arctic tundra and in the “boreal” (subarctic) forests of Canada, Russia, and Alaska — a reality that is already evident in Greenland’s biggest fire on record.
https://thinkprogress.org/british-columbia-sets-wildfire-record-739cc9e62e3f/
Two centuries of continuous volcanic eruption may have triggered the end of the ice age
the Southern Hemisphere’s climate changed abruptly roughly 18,000 years ago. Rather than the gradual decline you might expect as Earth’s orbit slowly drew nearer to the Sun, something triggered a widespread and simultaneous abrupt change in climate across many continents. Research explains for the first time is why the winds suddenly changed, and why there was a simultaneous climate transformation across the whole Southern Hemisphere.
Sand sculpture by Carl Jara …. !!!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/graindamaged/
