ClimateRoots August 13 2021 |
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I bet that subject line was confusing. If you keep reading, it will make perfect sense in about 10 minutes! In today's ClimateRoots, we're starting out with bonus coverage of this weeks critical IPCC report on climate change. We're sorry if it's a bit long, but it's super important! Our featured writer this week is Diala Abboud, who writes about the changes she's witness in Lake Erie while growing up on it's beaches. Our headlines this week cover pretty much everything, from fires, to ocean currents to a bipartisan senate agreement (we couldn't believe it either). We'll wrap up this week issue with some knowledge on offshore wind in our education section. Happy Friday! |
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IPCC Report This week, we would like to start out by highlighting the largest climate headline from this week. I’m sure that many of you have heard about the new IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change that was published on Monday. What we want to do is explain what this report actually is, how it was created and what it means. Additionally, we want to point out some of the key highlights and conclusions drawn in the report. The IPCC stands for The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and is the United Nations' body on assessing the science behind climate change. Widely regarded as the authoritative name in climate change science, the IPCC report was authored by over 200 scientists and is the conclusion of over 14,000 individually published research papers. The IPCC itself does not conduct any original research (although the 200+ scientists involved do). Additionally, this body is split into three different working classes and a task force that each cover a different area of climate change; the physical science basis of climate change (working class I), climate change impacts, adaptations and vulnerability (working class II), mitigation of climate change (working class III) and national greenhouse gas inventories (task force). The report that was published on Monday is working class I and focuses on the science basis of climate change and is a whopping 1,300 pages long. Luckily there is a shorter 42 page “Summary for Policymakers” that is a bit more digestible. The reports from working classes II and III are expected in coming months. Published every 5-8 years, these reports are meant to provide governments around the world with the most conclusive climate science found anywhere in the world. With that said, it is important to remember that the IPCC is governed by the UN and must receive 195 sign offs from the member nations, meaning that the language used often isn’t as harsh as it could, and should, be. However, if you have read any of the report or articles that talk about the report, it is pretty clear that we should be very, very alarmed by what is in it. What is so scary this time around, is that this truly is our final warning. For the first time, the IPCC has stepped up and fully blamed climate change ‘unequivocally’ on humans. It has warned that without immediate and drastic reductions in emissions, many of the worst climate impacts will be irreversible. The current heat waves, droughts, wildfires, flood events and many more we’ve already mentioned in ClimateRoots (in only 2 months!) are likely just the beginning. Many more impacts, such as Ocean Acidification, loss of ice caps and rising sea levels are already irreversible for millennia. For example, even if we curb emissions today, we are already expecting to see 6-12 inches of sea level rise at a minimum. Our window of time to act on climate change is, frankly, not much of a window at all. Ironically, this stark report has come at the exact time when most people are realizing the consequences of climate change first hand, simply by looking around them. Unfortunately, by the time we can physically see climate change, it means that we have very little time left to do anything about it. Here are a bunch of links to more in depth reading if you are interested in learning more about the IPCC’s most recent report: Heated, Associated Press, National Geographic, Wired, The Guardian, NPR, Boston Globe. |
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Diala at 4200 meters near the summit of Pasochoa in Ecuador (2021) / Image Courtesy of Diala Abboud Featured Writer - Diala Abboud This week, we welcome Diala Abboud, a first generation Lebanese American Earth scientist! Recently, Diala began the first year of her PhD program at Washington University in St. Louis studying the effects of climate change on fluvial dynamics and how these changes impact surrounding communities. Her research aims to communicate science in an accessible way that promotes change both in and out of the classroom. Sound familiar? (Hint: read the ClimateRoots mission statement on our website!) Before beginning her PhD, Diala received her bachelors in geology from Macalester College in 2020. In her free time, Diala enjoys knitting, embroidery, practicing yoga, reading, exploring Cleveland, hiking, and anything related to the outdoors! In her piece for this weeks ClimateRoots, Diala reflects on her experience growing up on the banks of Lake Erie. She shares how it inspired her and shaped her interests, almost without her realizing it. She also writes about how much Lake Erie has changed in her life; once an exciting Summer getaway, the beaches of Lake Erie now sport warning signs for those thinking about going for a swim. Despite the profound changes that have overcome the Lake, and the other Great Lakes, Diala ends on a much needed positive note, giving us a glimpse into the potential blue future for Lake Erie! |
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Weekly Headlines California’s Dixie Fire Now Second Largest Wildfire in California History (Axios, NPR, AP) - After growing dramatically over the weekend, the Dixie fire has now burned over 500,000 acres of land.
- Air quality throughout the Western United States reached dangerous levels, with Denver and Salt Lake City having some of the worst air qualities in the World.
- This new development caps an already horrific fire year around the globe, made possible through climate change caused heat and drought conditions. Wildfires are expected to continue worsening as the Earth continues to warm.
Key Ocean Currents that Regulate Global Weather patterns Showing Early Signs of Collapse (CNN, The Hill, Gizmodo) - The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, known as the AMOC, shows early signs in a new study (found here) of a collapse.
- The AMOC regulates temperatures and weather patterns in the Northern Hemisphere by distributing energy from the equator towards the arctic. It is responsible for Europe’s moderate temperatures and includes the Gulf Stream.
- Due to melting glaciers from Greenland, the ocean is becoming less salty meaning the surface level ocean water is lighter and is not sinking at as fast a rate; sinking salt water is a major driver of the ocean circulation.
- If the AMOC collapses, North America and Europe would be driven into extreme cold, sea levels in the Eastern United States would rise and key Monsoon rains would be altered.
Senate Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Partisan Budget Resolution (CNN, NYT, CNBC) - In a 69-30 vote, the senate passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill this week as well as a $3.5 trillion budget resolution in a 50-49 vote.
- The bill, which would put money towards fixing roads, bridges, airports, and railways, modernizing power grids, and starting key climate projects (to name just a few), is a good start, but democrats look now to drafting a larger $3.5 trillion Social Policy bill.
- This bill would be the largest federal spending on infrastructure in over a decade, and would no doubt be beneficial to almost every facet of the American economy.
- So what does all this mean? Well, nothing for the time being - it is unlikely the house will vote on either infrastructure bill until the $3.5 trillion Social Policy bill is passed, and this is only the beginning steps in a long legislative process. Not enough for progressives and too much for centrists, it’s going to take a lot of work from the Biden Administration to see any real action. Speaker Pelosi has said the House will consider the budget resolution in late August.
To read more headlines from this week, click below. |
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Wildfire / Image Courtesy of Malachi Brooks |
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Education Piece - Offshore Wind Happy Friday! We will be continuing with our exploration of wind energy this week, digging into offshore wind! Just like wind turbines on land, offshore wind harnesses wind power to create electricity. However, the potential energy yield is higher with offshore wind, since wind tends to blow stronger over the ocean than it does over land (Global Ocean Wind Energy Potential). While Americans are less familiar with offshore wind, it is a huge industry in countries across the pond, namely, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The United States has only recently dipped our toe into the waters of offshore wind, but the industry is taking off fast! Between 2019 and 2020, the amount of offshore wind capacity tripled to 6,439 MW (“2019 Wind Energy Data & Technology Trends”). This is enough energy capacity to power over 4 million homes! Though the basic mechanics of offshore wind turbines are virtually the same as onshore wind, there are a few key differences in how the turbine connects to the grid. Offshore wind farms sit above sea level, but their foundation is embedded in the sea floor (“Offshore Wind 101”). Array cables that connect the turbines together are run under the sea floor and connect to an offshore substation, which stabilizes the energy produced and transmits it to shore (“Offshore Wind 101”). The cables are laid deep enough in the ocean floor so as to not disturb ocean life. Once the energy is stabilized, coastal load centers, which determine where the energy is needed most, distribute it throughout the grid (“Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Offshore Wind Energy” 10). While this may seem like a lot more work than onshore wind farms, there are a multitude of benefits to increasing the amount of offshore wind in the United States. First, offshore wind provides energy at a more stable rate and during peak energy usage. This is because offshore wind is strongest during the day, when usage is strongest, compared to onland wind energy, which is strongest at nighttime (“Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Offshore Wind Energy” 10). Offshore wind farms can also be significantly larger than onland farms, since you don't have to worry about noise pollution or spacing. Additionally, since 80% of the U.S. population lives in the coastal and great lake states, offshore wind is a conveniently located energy source (“Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Offshore Wind Energy” 10). You might be thinking, “Wow, offshore wind sounds awesome, why haven't I seen more of it?” and for the most part it comes down to cost. Offshore wind farms are incredibly expensive and can be costly to maintain. These projects take years of planning, starting with financial backing, permitting, engineering/design, construction and then grid tie in. There are many parts along the way that can end a project if they don’t go according to plan. Additionally, offshore wind has been a tough market to crack open in the US, since wind turbines are not very aesthetic to see when hanging out at the beach! More on this next week! Currently, offshore wind is a largely untapped renewable energy resource in the United States with massive potential. To recognize the advantage of wind power, we can look to Western European countries who have much smaller coastlines but are producing vast amounts of power from offshore wind. By taking advantage of even a small amount of our available coastline, the US could become a leader in the development of offshore wind. However, it is one thing to say that we could, and another to actually achieve this. That is why next week, we will be looking at how the US can place itself to be a global leader, mainly from a policy perspective. To read this full piece with works cited, check it out on our blog! |
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Offshore Wind Turbine / Image Courtesy of NYSERDA |
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