The Epidemic of Climate Change Induced Wildfires in 2019

More intense and longer duration wildfires have ravaged countries all around the world. The thread that weaves all these wildfires together is global warming and the catalyst is heat, the harbinger of fire. Extreme heat exacerbates wildfires making this the new abnormal. Warmer temperatures dry out vegetation which fuels the fires, less precipitation and dry winds also play a role.  It is hard to refute the link between the climate crisis and wildfires. A June attribution study showed that climate change is responsible for last year's heat and wildfires in the northern hemisphere. An IPCC special report also made the connection between the climate crisis and wildfires. Most notably widespread are ravaging much of Australia as the year comes to an end. 

Arctic

The situation is worse in places that are used to wildfires but extreme heat in unusual places like the Arctic are fueling unprecedented fires. Wildfires emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as part of a feedback loop and Arctic wildfires are part of a unique feedback loop in which peat releases massive carbon stores further exacerbating global warming. Wildfires also produce black carbon which settles on the Arctic ice and absorbs sunlight, exacerbating global warming.The Arctic fires emitted 50 megatons of carbon dioxide in June. As of July there were more than 100 wildfires burning across the Arctic Circle. Some of these fires were more than 247,105 acres making them among the biggest fires in 2019. In Alaska alone almost 400 wildfires ravaged 600,000 acres.  Fires in the Russia, including hundreds of fires in Siberia released 300,000 megatons of carbon dioxide in July. To appreciate the scale of this year's Arctic fires, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the 2019 Arctic fires eclipsed the cumulative total of all GHG emissions from Arctic fires in the previous decade.

California

This year in California wildfires burned more than 250,000 acres, costing $80 billion in damage and economic losses. Millions of people were left without power due to the blazes. Although the fire season was bad this year in California, it was even worse in 2018 when 1.8 million acres burned in the state or 2017 when 1.3 million acres burned.  In 2018 wildfires in California in both August and November prompting then-Governor Jerry Brown to describe the situation as "the new normal," and subsequently "the new abnormal." The average wildfire season in the US is now 78 days longer than it was in 1970.  The trend is unmistakable, 7 of California’s 10 most destructive fires have happened in the last four years.

Amazon

The Amazon, one of the world's largest carbon stores, saw more than 80,000 forest fires this year, an increase of 75 percent from 2018.  Some of the most devastating fires occurred in the Amazon in Brazil. However, many of these forests were deliberately set alight as part of slash and burn agriculture. A total of 1,900,800 acres of rainforest was destroyed in Brazil in 2019.

Elsewhere

There were more fires burning in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in August than there were at the peak of the fires in Brazil. However, most of these fires were due to slash and burn agricultural practices. Similar fires burned across Indonesia.  Heat and high winds caused a hundred wildfires that burned 3,700 acres in Lebanon making this the worst fire season in decades. There was also a big upsurge in wildfires in Europe. Together these fires offer a foretaste of what we can expect from a warming world.

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Australian Wildfires and the Federal Government's Complicity

Hot dry conditions sparked an early start to fire season in Australia and people are demanding more climate action from the federal government that has refused to acknowledge the seriousness of the crisis. As the situation continues to worsen, protests have broken out across the country, however, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is has made it clear that he will not get serious about climate action.

Australia is suffering from record breaking heat and the worst wildfires in 35 years. As many as 500 million animals have been killed, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and 4.86 million hectares (12 million acres) have burned. While Aussies are used to the heat, what we have seen this December is extreme. A new December heat record was set for the state of Victoria when Hopetoun broke the old record with temperatures approaching 48C. Nationally Australia broke consecutive heat records in December with temperatures across the country averaging 44.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 degrees Fahrenheit). This prompted Navigant's Kees van der Leun to tweet: "I think this is the single loudest alarm bell I've ever heard on global heating," added van der Leun. "Red lights flashing all over. Politicians not taking this as a call for climate action will probably never act at all."

This is among the hottest heat waves on record in Australia. Despite these extreme temperatures and widespread wildfires the Australian government refuses to act. "The government needs to open their eyes and see through the smoke," Anthony Albanese, leader of Australia's Labour Party told reporters. "Bushfires are threatening homes and communities. This is a national crisis. We need a national response".

The ruling Liberal government has made it clear that they are more interested in finding markets for their massive coal reserves that exacerbate global warming than they are in engaging in climate action.

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Event - 2020 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15)

The 2020 Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) will take place on October 5, 2020 in Kunming, Yunnan, China. The theme of this event is ecological civilization, which is rooted in the Chinese vision of an ecological civilization and draws inspiration from traditional and new eco-innovations. High level officials mentioned that the theme aims to inspire a global society in which economic, social, cultural and environmental concerns are addressed in a truly holistic way, by recognizing that nature is the fundamental infrastructure supporting life on earth.

The Conference is a historic opportunity for the international community to set a new course that enables humanity to reconcile its relationship with nature by recognizing its dependence on the good functioning of natural systems. The conference will review and replace the Aichi Goals and seek political commitments and encourages the international community to protect biodiversity and accelerate actions on the existing global biodiversity targets, while guiding the direction of the 2020 negotiations.  It is also anticipated that the final decision on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be taken, together with decisions on related topics including capacity building and resource mobilization.

Negotiations for the 2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the Conference started during the first session of the CBD Open-Ended-Working Group, which was held from 27-30 August, in Nairobi, Kenya. The next rounds of negotiations are scheduled for February 2020, in Kunming, China, and in Colombia in July 2020.

The 2020 Biodiversity Conference will also serve as the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the CBD. This event will also include the tenth Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Cartagena Protocol COP/MOP 10) and the fourth Meeting of the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (Nagoya Protocol COP/MOP 4) are expected to address a series of issues related to implementation of the Convention and its Protocols.

As part of the process to develop the post-2020 framework, negotiations will be held in the context of an open-ended intersessional Working Group, co-chaired by Francis Ogwal (Uganda) and Basile van Havre (Canada). The first meeting of the Working Group is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 27-30 August 2019. Its second meeting will be held in Kunming, China, from 24-28 February 2020. The third meeting of the Working Group is expected to convene from 27-31 July 2020 in Colombia.

Additionally, the Convention’s other intersessional and subsidiary bodies, including the Working Group on Article 8(j), the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) will address aspects of the post-2020 framework of relevance to their mandates.

A series of regional consultations have already taken place, including for Asia and the Pacific, Western Europe and Others Group and other members of the EU, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean. A thematic consultation with focus on gender elements was also held in New York, US, and a consultation workshop among the biodiversity-related conventions took place from 10-12 June 2019 in Bern, Switzerland.

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Event - 2020 UN Ocean Conference

This event will take place on June 2-6, 2020 in Lisbon, Portugal. The Governments of Kenya and Portugal will co-host and assume all costs of the Conference. The General Assembly through resolution 73/292 decided to convene the 2020 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The overarching theme of the Conference is "Scaling up ocean action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions".

Resolution 73/292 establish that the Conference shall:

(a) Build on existing successful partnerships and stimulate innovative and concrete new partnerships to advance the implementation of Goal 14;

(b) Support further action to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, giving due consideration to the call made in the declaration entitled “Our ocean, our future: call for action”;

(c) Identify further ways and means to support the implementation of Goal 14;

(d) Involve all relevant stakeholders, bringing together Governments, the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, international financial institutions, other interested international bodies, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, the scientific community, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and other actors to assess challenges and opportunities relating to, as well as actions taken towards, the implementation of Goal 14;

(e) Share the experiences gained at the national, regional and international levels in the implementation of Goal 14;

(f) Identify possible challenges and obstacles relating to the achievement of all the targets under Goal 14, as well as opportunities and innovative ways and means to support their implementation;

(g) Invite Member States and other relevant stakeholders to provide an update on the implementation of the voluntary commitments made in the context of the United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, and invite new voluntary commitments in support of Goal 14, as well as support the sharing of experiences and lessons learned on their implementation;

(h) Share ongoing efforts, successes and challenges between relevant ocean-related initiatives and processes with a view to promoting collaboration, cooperation and coordination, as well as preventing the unnecessary duplication of efforts, to ensure further efficiency and effectiveness in support of Goal 14;

(i) Contribute to the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing an input to the high-level political forum on sustainable development, in accordance with resolutions 67/290 of 9 July 2013, 70/1, and 70/299 of 29 July 2016, unless otherwise agreed in line with the aforementioned resolutions, on the implementation of Goal 14, including on opportunities to strengthen progress in the future.

Click here for information about who is eligible to participate.

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Event - Conference on Sustainability in Engineering

CSE 2020 will take place February 21 - 24, 2020 at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. The Conference on Sustainability in Engineering is the CFES' newest conference, ratified at Congress 2018. The conference aims to raise awareness about issues in sustainability and environmental engineering, and encourage students to discuss and design solutions to counter them.

The Conference on Sustainability in Engineering (CSE) is a three-day national conference to educate and engage engineering students on issues of sustainability and how they can tackle it within their engineering career and everyday life.

CSE provides a stage for engineering students across Canada to discuss innovative ideas and learn from fellow students and professionals in order to further their understanding of sustainability in the Engineering field.

The objectives of the conference are to be met by providing delegates with the options of becoming a LEED green associate, take part in workshops and discussions led by professionals, network with people who share their passion for creating a sustainable future, and educating students on the basic principles of sustainability, as well as some of the new and innovative concepts.

For more information click here.

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Predictable and Rare Climate Impacts in 2019

This year there were a slew of predictable climate related events. There were also some rare global warming impacts including massive volumes of ice melt in Greenland and tropical cyclones that intensified at one of the fastest rates ever observed.

According to the IPCC ice is melting and sea levels are rising at an accelerated rate.  A quick review of temperature records tell us what we need to know. Since the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding decade and the most recent decade is the hottest on record. Driven by deadly heat waves and drought we are seeing increases in the intensity, duration and size of wildfires.

Terrestrial heat records are not our only concern. We have broken ocean heat records that may be the climate canary in the marine coalmine. We also need to appreciate the gravity of Arctic heatwaves and unprecedented Arctic wildfires which emitted 50 megatons of carbon dioxide in June.

The World Meteorological Organization's annual "State of the Global Climate" reported a number of climate impacts in 2019. 

"Once again in 2019, weather and climate related risks hit hard. Heatwaves and floods which used to be “once in a century" events are becoming more regular occurrences...Countries ranging from the Bahamas to Japan to Mozambique suffered the effect of devastating tropical cyclones. Wildfires swept through the Arctic and Australia," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, adding, "If we do not take urgent climate action now, then we are heading for a temperature increase of more than 3 degrees C by the end of the century, with ever more harmful impacts on human well being."

Climate refugees are also a significant and growing problem. The WMO report claims that up to 22 million people worldwide could be displaced by extreme weather in 2019. Drought and floods have caused crop failures that have reversed the trend line for global hunger. For the first time in a decade hunger is now increasing.

"One of the main impacts of climate change is more erratic rainfall patterns. This poses a threat to crop yields and, combined with population increase, will mean considerable food security challenges for vulnerable countries in the future," Talaas explained.

In the face of all of these climate impacts we are moving in the wrong direction. Atmospheric greenhouse gases hit an all time high last year and countries are not living up to their emission reduction commitments.  We will need to see consorted action in 2020 if we are to address the climate crisis before we run out of time. 

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Four Reasons Why 2020 Will be a Make or Break Year for Environmental Action

We will face some critical choices in 2020 including momentous decisions that will have profound impacts on humanity, ecosystems and countless species. The first issue is our failure to reign in GHG emissions and the second is the absence of any significant progress at COP25.

The combinations of a warming world and ecosystem destruction put us on a collision course with catastrophe. We are destroying life on Earth at an alarming rate.  This includes species from the top to the bottom of the web of life, everything from keystone species to insects and plankton. Whether we realize it or not we are woven into this web.

We are not on track to limit warming to the safe upper threshold (1.5 Celsius above preindustrial norms). We are now more than two thirds of the way there (1.1 Celsius above preindustrial norms).  Ongoing emissions ensure that the world will continue to warm.  Although we are moving in the wrong direction, three critical summits in 2020 could significantly improve our prospects.

In June the governments of Portugal and Kenya will host the high-level Ocean Conference in Lisbon on June 2-6, 2020. This conference is intended to increase ocean-based action to implement the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which seeks to conserve and sustainably use oceans and marine resources. It is hoped that we will see a declaration from governments to take action on ocean protection through a set of voluntary commitments.

In October, delegates from more than 190 countries will attend the Biodiversity Summit in Kunming, China to finalize and sign a new international agreement to protect biodiversity. This new agreement will replace the Aichi Goals. Some of  20 Aichi Goals have have been successful others have not. For example, more than 80 percent of signatory nations have met the conditions of goal 11, which asks each nation to safeguard 10 percent of its marine areas and 17 percent of its land areas. However, we have not succeeded in achieving Aichi goal 20, which calls for an increase in the financial resources to protect biodiversity.

At the end of the year the world will convene for the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland which is scheduled to take place November 9-20, 2020. A change in leadership in the world's most powerful democracy may herald new hope for a significant increase in emissions reduction ambitions.
 
In addition to recalcitrant governments, our economic system poses a significant challenge. We may need to challenge some of our basic economic assumptions. While we need to see economic reforms, for many, especially those in the U.S. capitalism is sacrosanct. While one can argue that this is a maladaptive point of view, entrenched conservative political interests, and the old energy industry make this a difficult nut to crack.

Some have argued that we need a slower, more cautious approach that gradually phases in environmental and climate action. This may avoid the backlash that threatens to kill climate action and embolden the political right. Although an incremental approach may be more politically viable, and could draw support from allies among conservative ranks and the business community. However, this approach slows decarbonization and we do not have the time.  According to the IPCC we have at best ten years to radically slash emissions. Others including Harvard scientist James Anderson, best known for his work on chlorofluorocarbons, think we have less than half that time.

The longer we wait the more likely we are to encounter feedback loops that accelerate warming. This includes melting permafrost that releases massive amounts of GHGs and an ice free arctic that will absorb more heat (ice reflects sunlight back into space). The most urgent tipping point may be political. The single most important event in 2020 may be the U.S. presidential election in on November 3rd 2020.  Simply put, we cannot afford another four years with Donald Trump at the helm of the world's most powerful nation. The transition to a more reasonable leadership in the U.S. would make all the difference.

One way or another, the year to come will define humanity and determine the fate of life on the planet.

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Happy Holidays from the Green Market Oracle

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Hope for the Holidays: 101 Good Environmental News Stories in 2019

There is reason to hope as we teeter on the cusp of an apocalypse, even as emissions keep rising and ecosystems are collapsing all around us. The ignorance and inaction of national leaderships and the old energy industry can make us feel as though we are doomed.

However, there are also many good news stories that show progress is possible. Here are a hundred and one good news stories from 2019. These stories run the gamut from plastic, energy and the green economy to food, agriculture, trees, wildlife and habitat conservation. The rising tide of protest and changing attitudes even in some conservative politics give us a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

PLASTIC

1. Single-use plastics are being phased out more rapidly building on the 51 plastic-pollution-related legislative victories worldwide.

2. The EU's comprehensive plastics-ban agreement will outlaw ten separate products from straws to plastic cutlery to plastic Q-tip sticks.

3. Some major corporations are also phasing out plastics, this includes McDonalds, Pepsi and Walmart all of which say their packaging be recyclable or biodegradable by 2025.

4. A young UK designer has created plastic alternative called MarinaTex from fish waste and algae.

5. Scientists in Mexico have created a form of biodegradable plastic made from cactus.

6. Thailand supermarkets are replacing plastic wrap with banana leaves.

7. Bangor University researchers are working with leftover farming materials to create trays for fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs.

8. A French startup has developed a new process that uses enzymes to break down the most problematic PET plastics that can be used to make clear water bottles to replace those made from petroleum.

9. A Silicon Valley startup has developed a process to replace plastic in clothing with biodegradable biopolymers.

10. A biologist and amateur beekeeper discovered plastic-eating caterpillars.

11. Scientists discovered a plastic eating mushroom.

12. In Rome, Italy a program to pay for Metro train tickets with plastic bottles has recycled hundreds of thousands of bottles.

13. In Lagos, Nigeria a recycle pay project allows kids to pay for their school fees by recycling plastic waste.

GREEN ECONOMY

14. Millions of jobs have been created by the green economy

15. A new report says there are trillions of dollars of savings associated with climate action.

16. Led by renewable energy the green economy is growing.

17. Led by wind and solar renewable energy investments keep growing

18. Declining battery storage costs are contributing to the growth of renewable energy.

ENERGY

19. New research supports the viability of 100 percent renewable energy

20. Renewable energy is leading a green jobs boom.

21. We are transitioning away from fossil fuels towards clean energy

22. Clean energy growth is outpacing fossil fuels.

23. There are now more jobs in renewable energy than there are in the fossil fuel sector

24. Renewable energy now accounts for around a third of global power capacity.

25. Cities are ready for 100 percent renewable energy.

26. The MENA region is showing renewable energy leadership.

27. Norway decides not to drill for oil leaving 53 billion Euros worth of oil in the ground near Lofoton Islands.

28. Sweden is committed to 100 percent renewable energy.

29. Canada to make clean, affordable power available in every Canadian community.

30. AfDBs solar project in Africa aims to give 90 million people access to electricity.

31. IKEA emerged as a dominant leader in corporate renewables and efficiency. 

32. Major fossil fuel companies have endorsed a carbon tax.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

33. There is a rising appetite for plant-based meat

34. Rice farmers around the world are using ducks instead of pesticides

35. South Korea now recycles 95 percent of its food waste

TREES

36. All around the world we are seeing trees being planted at record levels.

37. A man in India planted a tree in India every day for 35 years and created a green space larger than Manhattan.

38. A village in India is planting 111 trees for every girl born in the village. So far they have planted 350,000 trees.

39. Peru has committed to ending palm oil deforestation by 2021.

40.  Canada has promised to plant two billion trees

WILDLIFE

41. Sea turtles are making a huge comeback.

42. Conservation efforts have helped Humpback whales rebound from the brink of extinction.

43. Galapagos iguana makes a return to the island after almost 200 years. 

44. An effort to save the white rhino from extinction got underway with the fertilization of seven eggs from the world's remaining white rhinos.

45. German circuses now use holograms instead of real animals.

46. Baby African elephants will no longer be taken from Africa and sold to circuses or zoos.

47. Canada passes a bill that makes it illegal to keep porpoises, dolphins, whales in captivity for entertainment purposes.

48. Scientists in Finland have developed the world's first bee vaccine designed to help reduce bee mortality.

HABITAT PRESERVATION

49. Canada has increased the amount of land and marine protection zones to 25 percent.

50. Montreal is creating one of the largest city parks in the world.

51. London is creating a seven mile bee corridor that will have plant life that sustains insects.

52. Holland covers hundreds of bus stops with green roofs that support bees.

53. Netherlands built five artificial islands to support wildlife, in 2019 it was reported that these islands are now home to 20,000 birds and 127 plant species.

54, Tim Sweeney, the creator of fortnight is buying and conserving thousands of acres of forest.

55. The world is getting greener according to NASA satellite images.

56. A robot called larvalBot is planting coral to try to revive the Great Barrier Reef.

57. The Natural Resources Management Act was passed in the U.S. creating 1.3 million acres of wilderness and six new national-park units and reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

PROTEST 

58. Greta Thunberg's climate advocacy including school strikes for climate.

59. Youth climate change uprising as part of a diverse protest movement.

60. The biggest climate mobilization in history in September.

61. The largest single climate march in human history took place in Montreal.

62. Extinction Rebellion launched civil disobedience campaigns in the centers of power. 

63. Ende Gelände (End of Story) blockaded German coal facilities in June.

64. Both businesses and employees support the climate strikes.

65. A growing number of people have realized that protesting Trump is essential to the survival of life on the Earth.

66. There has been a major increase in the number of climate emergency declarations around the world.

EVEN THE RIGHT IS GOING GREEN

67. The far-right in France is getting greener. Only a few years ago, France's far-right National Front derided international climate cooperation as a "communist project." In April, the party (rebranded as National Rally) called for European nations to use trade barriers as a cudgel against "rogue states that abandon the fight against climate change."

68. Despite Trump's abdication on the climate issue, some Republicans are now pushing for modest action. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has ridiculed Trump's climate denial and is urging the party to finally "cross the Rubicon." Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) wants "a New Manhattan Project for Clean Energy." Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), released a plan called the Green Real Deal, which he bills as a market-based alternative to the Green New Deal.

69. The incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, from Germany's center-right party has put climate policy at the top of her agenda for Europe, ahead of even economic policy.

70. Only a few years ago, France's far-right National Front derided international climate cooperation as a "communist project." In April, the party (rebranded as National Rally) called for European nations to use trade barriers as a cudgel against "rogue states that abandon the fight against climate change."

71. In the Canadian province of PEI Conservatives support environmental protections and climate action.

72. Conservatives in the Canadian province of New Brunswick support climate action.

DEMOCRATS

73. Democrats took the House and welcomed science back to the chamber. 

74. Democrats are united in their resolve to cut emissions and combat climate change.

75. Democrats have pledged to support responsible climate policies if they win in 2020.

76. All ten Democratic presidential contenders seeking the party nomination have unveiled climate plans.

77. Women are leading a Democratic wave in the U.S.

POLITICAL AND NATIONAL ACTION

78. Green party surged in European elections with its best performance ever (third in France and second in Germany). 

79. Swedish climate leadership.

80. Germany unveils $60 billion plan to fight the climate crisis.

81. Both Ireland and Norway have made significant climate action pledges.

82. The UK, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, has reduced its carbon emissions for the sixth year in a row (the last time emissions were this low was 1888).

83. The UK announces a net zero carbon plan.

84. All of Canada's major parties support climate action.

85.  Canadians elect a Liberal minority government that supports climate action.

86. Canada to prioritize climate and environmental action.

87.  Canada to make energy efficient homes more affordable.

88.  Canada to incentivize the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.

89.  Canada to support the development of clean technology businesses.

90. The Canadian province of Nova Scotia puts an end to waste dumping in Boat Harbour.

CHANGING ATTITUDES

91.  Polls reveal unprecedented support for climate action in Canada.

92.  Polls reveal an increased acceptance of climate change in the United States.

COURTS

93. The courts are overturning the Trump administration’s attempts to weaken environmental protections.

94. The Trump administration has won only two of 39 environmental-regulation cases.

95. In April a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration failed to consider the environmental impacts of coal mined on federal lands which is not in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

96. A ruling in March blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to expand offshore drilling in Alaska and off the northeastern coast.

97. A tribe in the Amazon wins its legal battle against oil companies, preventing drilling.

98. Indigenous rights groups in Ecuador win a legal victory protecting parts of the Amazon from gold mining.

MISCELLANEOUS

99. Researchers create a roadmap for saving the Earth from climate change.   

100. On World Environment Day the UN published guides for businesses, cities, governments, schools & universities and individuals.

101. Tiny, hollow silica microbeads are being tested on Arctic ice as a reflective shield against the sun to diminish ice melt. 

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A Greta Thunberg Christmas Carol - Hope that Augurs Action

Greta Thunberg has chided adults for saying, "we owe it to young people to give them hope". The climate icon does not want us to hope she wants us to act.  "I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic." Greta said, adding, "I want you to feel the fear I feel every day, and then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is."

There is no denying that we need action. However, hope is necessary to augur action even as we teeter on the cusp of an apocalypse. The sad psychological reality is that we deny truths too painful for us to countenance and we shut down in the face of futility.

We need hope as an antidote to apathy and as a catalyst to act. It would be easy to conclude that it is already too late and we are doomed to suffer from runaway climate change. Indeed the effects of unchecked global warming are calamitous.  Many studies warn us of an impeding disaster but we still have time to stave off the worst impacts if we act now.

Last year around this time Greta Thunberg delivered a stern rebuke to world leaders at COP24 and at COP25 she chastised them for doing little more than "clever accounting and creative PR". She is right to be angry, we all have reason to be incensed with the failure of leaders to lead.

We are living a sort of Dickonsonian Christmas Carol. We have been warned over and over again, and yet world leaders are not doing enough and some deny that the crisis exists even as their citizens suffer from devastating impacts.  As Australia is struggling with record breaking heat and unprecedented wildfires Greta took a break from her Christmas vacation to accuse politicians of "failing to make the connection" between rising temperatures and extreme weather events.  "Not even catastrophes like these seem to bring any political action. How is this possible?" she tweeted to her 3.7 million followers. "Because we still fail to make the connection between the climate crisis and increased extreme weather events and nature disasters."

Greta wants action and she is not deterred by derision from climate destroying world leaders like Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, American President Donald Trump, and Brazilian dictator Jair Bolsanaro. Nor is Greta distracted by expressions of admiration. When she met with the US Senate's climate crisis task force in September she told them to "save their praise" and act. "We don’t want it... Don’t invite us here to just tell us how inspiring we are without actually doing anything about it because it doesn’t lead to anything."

In response to those who say she should be in school rather than protesting, Greta says: "Why should any young person be made to study for a future when no one is doing enough to save that future? What is the point of learning facts when the most important facts given by the finest scientists are ignored by our politicians?"

Change, particularly transformative change is difficult but this is precisely what we must do. Throughout the course of human evolution our species has shown itself to be tremendously resourceful. Given that global warming is a crisis of our own making, we should expect that we will put our ingenuity to the test and do what we must.  Saying there is no hope means we wont try, while at the same time hope without transformative change is folly.

We know what to do but we have yet to do it. As Greta said: "Some people say that I should study to become a climate scientist so that I can solve the climate crisis. But the climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we need to do is wake up and change."

While lifestyle changes are laudable the scale of the changes we need means we need action from lawmakers. Only legislation can change behavior on the required scale, everything else is just window dressing.

We need hope so that we can continue to grow a movement capable of confronting the entrenched economic and political obstacles that prevent us from moving forward.  This is a Herculean task that will not be undertaken by the hopeless.

"It can be hard in times like these to find hope, I can tell you," Greta said "And I can tell you I have not found much hope in politicians and corporations. It is the people who are now our greatest source of hope."

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Greta's Strikes for Climate Action and Her Game-Changing Global Movement
Like a Dickensonian Ghost Greta Thunberg Offers a Chilling Rebuke and a Haunting Warning
Unprecedented Global School Strikes for Climate Action
Young People are Leading Climate Activism and Giving Us Reason to Hope
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Event - Sustainability and the Climate Crisis Conference Call for Abstracts

This event will take place on March 16-18, 2020 at Concordia Conference Centre (Sir George Williams Campus), 9th Floor, John Molson Building, 1450 Guy (March 16-17), and 110-130, Jesuit Hall & Conference Centre, 7141 Sherbrooke St O. (March 18), Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The speakers will be Angela Carter, Ursula Eicker, Damon Matthews, and many others. This event is presented by Loyola Sustainability Research Centre and Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability.

During the unfolding environmental emergency, when the effects of global warming and biodiversity loss are beginning to be felt acutely across the globe, our common future depends on researchers across disciplines working together to address the issue. This need is as important at Concordia University as it is elsewhere. In fact, as a Next Generation institution recently recognized as the leading Canadian University under 50, the Concordia community arguably is especially well-positioned to do so. With this in mind, in March 2020, the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre and the Loyola College for Diversity and Sustainability will host their fourth cross-disciplinary sustainability conference on the environmental crisis, focusing   particularly on the climate emergency. The event will bring together professors, graduate students, undergraduate students, and the broader community from across Concordia and beyond to discuss sustainability research in general and the climate emergency in particular.

Keynote speakers

Climate scientist Dr. Damon Matthews will open the conference downtown on the morning of Monday, March 16th. Dr. Matthews holds a Tier 1 Concordia University Research Chair in Climate Science and Sustainability and is Professor in the Department of Geography Planning and Environment. His research is aimed at better understanding the many possible interactions between human activities, natural ecosystems and future climate change, and contributing to the scientific knowledge base required to promote the development of sound national and international climate policy.

Engineer and green urban energy systems Dr. Ursula Eicker will present downtown on the morning of Tuesday, March 17th. Dr Eicker is Concordia’s new Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities and Professor in the Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering. Her research focusses on energy-efficient buildings, urban districts and sustainable energy systems.

Political Scientist Dr. Angela Carter will close the second day of the conference downtown on March 17th. Dr Carter is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Unviersity of Waterloo and a Fellow of the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Her research has focuses on the environmental policy and politics surrounding oil extraction in Canada’s major oil producing provinces.

Ecologist Dr. Ivette Perfecto will close the conference at Loyola on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 18th. Dr. Perfecto is the George W. Pack Professor of Ecology, Natural Resources and Environment at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on biodiversity and arthropod-mediated ecosystem services in rural and urban agriculture.

Panels

There will be a Careers in Sustainability panel, as well as a cross-disciplinary panel on How to Communicate about Climate Change, and much, much more.

Call for Abstracts

Do you have an idea for a panel, workshop, exhibition, or presentation? We welcome abstracts and proposals for talks, posters, panels, workshops, and exhibitions from Concordia student and faculty researchers working on sustainability in general and climate issues in particular. Talks should be 10 minutes long; panels and workshops can be an hour or longer. Abstracts and proposals should be no more than 400 words in length and should include a title and names of all authors.

Submissions from women, Indigenous and racialized people, those with disabilities, and those who identify as LGBTTIQQ2A are encouraged.

Submissions are due January 31, 2020 and can be e-mailed to Rebecca Tittler at loyolacollege.fas@concordia.ca.

This event is free and open to the public.

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The Search for Greta - A Short Film about Hope as we Teeter on the Cusp of an Apocalypse

Set against the backdrop of the September 27th climate march in Montreal, the protagonists in this short experimental documentary set out to find Greta Thunberg. Although they do not find the climate icon, what they find instead are legions of everyday heroes. This film is a celebration of the power of people working together. As we hurdle towards an uncertain future, we discover that action is the antidote to apathy and despair. We find hope even as we teeter on the brink of an apocalypse. This film takes us on a journey where what we find is not what we were looking for. We are living through dark times, but we discover a movement emerging from the ashes of this dying world. This is our story; this is our quest.

We are overwhelmed with the hopelessness of our current situation as the power brokers sell our futures for profit. Our ecosystems are being destroyed by our insatiable appetites and our unfettered hubris. From within the womb of this dystopian nightmare a lofty dream is emerging. An inclusive narrative is being born that consolidates our understanding and our purpose. We are forging heroic tales that call us to be heroes ourselves.

We set out to find Greta, and although we never find her, what we find is something even more important. We realize that no single human can solve this crisis and we discover the age-old power of unity. We also realize that it is our separateness that defeats us and leads us to despair. The arc of our story takes us from isolation and loneliness to hope and a sense of possibility. We are transformed by the realization that when we come together, we are unstoppable.

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Nova Scotia Stands Up to the Mill Responsible for the Toxic Mess in Boat Harbour

The provincial government of Nova Scotia is acting to reign-in the Northern Pulp mill near Pictou, Nova Scotia. For 42 years the mill has been dumping harmful waste into lagoons. They have created what a former environment minister called a "toxic mess" and one of the worst cases of environmental racism in Canada.

The mill has failed to respect the timelines given to them five years ago, and they have also reneged on their promise to clean up the estuary that they polluted. The mill’s parent company, Paper Excellence Canada has been criticized by the province for their failure to invest in waste reduction facilities.

Stephen McNeil, the Premier of Nova Scotia said he had hoped that the mill operators would work with the Department of the Environment to improve their water treatment capabilities. McNeil also said the mill failed to provide adequate science-based impact information.

The provincial enforcement of wastewater rules will prevent the mill from pumping wastewater into lagoons by Jan. 31, 2020. These lagoons are situated near the First Nation's community of Pictou Landing. Indigenous leaders lauded the decision and Pictou Landing Chief Andrea Paul thanked the premier in a statement. The move was also supported by Jim Ryan, the mayor of nearby Pictou.

In response to the government's decision to stop them from dumping their toxic waste, BC based Paper Excellence Canada has announced they will close the mill. This will result in the loss of 300 jobs at the mill and around 2,400 positions in the forestry sector, another 8,300 positions across the province could also be effected. The premiere announced a $50M transition fund to help build a new sustainable forestry industry and support those hit by job losses. McNeil had a hopeful message for workers and their families, "please don’t despair. Our government will help and support you in this transition."

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Airships Offer Both Climate Mitigation and Adaptation

Varialift solar powered airship concept

The emissions associated with traditional air travel make airships an ideal low-cost alternative for shipping. Compared to traditional transportation mediums, airships are quiet, cheaper to operate, and most importantly, far more carbon efficient. They also have a much larger range and cargo carrying capacity. While slower then jet powered aviation, they are faster than current land or sea transportation systems (airships travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometers an hour or around 70 miles per hour).

Many shipping routes could be serviced by airships. A 2016 study found that as much as half of the air cargo between Hong Kong and the U.S. and Europe could be replaced by airships. Because airships float using lighter-than-air gas (hydrogen or helium) they do not require fuel to maintain flight and they can carry massive payloads. They can carry loads weighing 500 tons or more. This means it will not be necessary to dissemble something before it is shipped. Airships can also avoid congested airports and shipping ports. All of the above saves energy, time and money.

Airships not only mitigate against climate change they can also help us to adapt to a warmer world. Although their size makes airships vulnerable to bad weather, modern technology should enable them to avoid such weather. In places like northern Canada airships can replace ice roads that are increasingly less safe due to warmer temperatures. When extreme weather strikes airships are an ideal transportation medium to provide humanitarian relief as they do not need air or sea ports.

There are several types: Non-rigid (a blimp), or semi-rigid (with a partial supporting structure), or rigid (with a complete supporting structure). There is also the hybrid airship, which uses traditional wings or rotors to provide lift and control.

What makes an airship so compelling is the fact that they are radically efficient and have little or no emissions. When powered by fossil fuel engines they produce up to 90 percent fewer emissions compared to conventional aircraft. However, air ships can also be paired with fuel cells and solar powered electric motors.

According to a paper in the journal Energy Conservation and Management an airship traveling in the stratosphere could move 21,000 tons of stuff using almost no energy at all. Airships propelled by the winds of the jet stream could move at speeds of between 100 and 250 mph. Such an airship could travel from Denver to China in about seven days or from Los Angeles to Tokyo in four.  However, we have yet to develop the flexible materials that are required to make such flights possible.

There are other downsides, hydrogen is flammable and helium is both non-renewable and expensive. Nonetheless, forward looking governments would be wise to make investments in research and development.

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Trump's Impeachement is Not a Hoax Nor is Climate Change

Nancy Polosi and the Democrats believe that it is in the national interest to impeach President Donald Trump and support climate action. Trump is being impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. The two articles of impeachment are  'Abuse of Power' and 'Obstruction of Congress'. It is hard to contest the fact that Trump withheld aid to Ukraine as leverage in a failed attempt to dig up dirt on his political opponent. Then he stonewalled Congress and refused to cooperate with their constitutionally endowed oversight duties.

Trump claims he did nothing wrong and he is trying to portray the impeachment as a hoax. It should be remembered that this is a president who dismisses climate change as a hoax. He derides the evidence for impeachment just as he derides the evidence for climate change. This is the same man who lambasts all unfavorable coverage as 'fake news'. He is also the guy who said, "people should not believe what they see or what they read".  Trump is at war with the truth, with over 10,000 documented examples of deception, he has a well earned reputation as the biggest liar ever to occupy the Oval Office.

Unlike Trump, Democrats embrace facts including the facts about climate change. The Democrat controlled House of Representatives is committed to act on the climate crisis. At a COP25 press conference in Madrid, speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said this commitment is 'iron-clad'. As reported by the Guardian, Pelosi led a delegation to the UN climate conference where she indicated the U.S. will reduce emissions and engage with other countries.

"Congress’s commitment to action on the climate crisis is iron-clad. This is a matter of public health, of clean air, of clean water, of our children, of the survival of our economies, of the prosperity of the world, of national security, justice and equality. We now must deliver deeper cuts in emissions," Pelosi said adding, "This is not about incrementalism – this is about being transformative."

The Democrats stand in stark contrast to White House environmental policies. This includes the Trump administration's war nature, their policy of energy inefficiency and opposition to both clean energy and clean cars.  Trump is a pariah who has been accused of "ecocide" by developing countries at COP25.

"We are outraged by the dithering and retreat of one of the most culpable polluters from the Paris agreement," Lois Young, Belize’s permanent representative to the UN and chair of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States, told the conference. "In the midst of a climate emergency, retreat and inaction are tantamount to sanctioning ecocide. They reflect profound failure to honour collective global commitment to protect the most vulnerable."

In a less than veiled reference to the U.S. UN secretary general António Guterres said, "We see already strong commitment from many governments and the business and financial community – the problem is that the most important polluters, the countries that have the biggest [emissions of] greenhouse gases are lagging behind."  Trump's deregulation has pushed the U.S. into last place on global climate rankings.

Trump's failures are catching up with him. He is the most unpopular president in U.S. history, even more unpopular than Jimmy Carter or George Bush at the same point in their presidencies (both men failed to be reelected for a second term). The fact that he lost the popular vote by 3 million ballots in 2016 does not bode well for Trump and the Republican's hopes for 2020.

Trump hopes he can divert attention to the economy, but his economic performance is questionable.  All he did was cut taxes on the wealthy and remove environmental safeguards. While this has provided a short term economic boost it has come at the expense of the health and well being of Americans. This is not a viable or sustainable course of action. 

While Pelosi and the Democrats are on the right side of history the same cannot be said for Republicans and their commander and chief. The American electorate may not be kind to Republican legislators who have decided to defend this president and put their own interests ahead of the national interest.

Trump will be remembered for being the most dishonest president in the history of the Republic and for his rampant corruption (more than a half dozen Trump associates have been indicted so far).  Even more damning than his impeachment, Trump will be judged by history as the man who reversed climate action at a critical time in human history.  

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How the Political Right Uses Fossil Fuels to Galvanize Opposition to Climate Action

It is widely understood that in the main, conservative far-right political movements support fossil fuels and oppose the veracity of climate change and climate action. In the U.S. Republicans have worked with the old energy industry to subvert the facts for many years. Thanks to insidious disinformation campaigns 73 percent of Republican voters have been hoodwinked into believing that climate change is not a serious threat and 70 percent do not believe that humans are the cause. The resistance to climate action does not stop at disinformation. Republicans have actively thwarted the democratic process through redistricting (gerrymandering) and voter suppression. In Oregon Republican lawmakers refused to appear in the state legislature to avoid passing a sweeping climate change bill by the Democratic majority.

No individual has done more harm to global climate action that Donald Trump. He has dismissed climate change as a "hoax" and his administration's resistance to science is unprecedented. This president and his Republican minions actively support the expansion of fossil fuels and wanton deregulation. The Trump administration's raft of anti-environmental policy positions including withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Trump has helped to pave the way for climate denial from far-right politicians in Brazil, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. They have stoked opposition to climate action to build support for anti-science policy.  The result is the right wing leaderships in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia have all killed their net-zero emissions plans this year.

The key to resistance to science-based climate action can be found in marrying opposition to fossil fuel tax hikes and resistance to climate action. The so called yellow vest protests in France and other parts of Europe illustrate this point. Opposing increases in gas prices serves as both a mustering point of resistance and a segue to oppose climate action. However, this is a manufactured crisis as gas taxes were already high.

In a play on Trump's nationalistic "make America great again" French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to "make our planet great again". French right wing political leaders have seized on Macron's climate leadership to galvanize opposition to climate action. As one slogan put it, "Macron is concerned with the end of the world. We are concerned with the end of the month."

Similar contrarian sentiments can be found in other countries that support climate action including Sweden which is widely recognized as one of the most climate forward nations on the planet. Resistance to gas tax hikes in Sweden are called Bensinupproret. The leader of the movement's 600,000 Facebook members is Peder Blohm Bokenhielm he dismisses climate action as "hysteria". In climate friendly Finland, opposition to climate action is also being used by the right for partisan purposes. Finns Party chairman Jussi Halla-aho also dismisses climate action as "hysteria".

However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore climate science, even for right wing politicians whose policy agendas are commonly rooted in obfuscation and outright deception. The new center-right European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, placed climate policy at the top of her "agenda for Europe," ahead of even economic policy. "I want the European Green Deal to become Europe's hallmark," she explained.

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Ranking National Climate Action - 2020 Performance Index

The United States and Canada are some of the worst climate performers in the world. None of the countries reviewed in the 2020 Performance Index have demonstrated that they are on a path that is compatible with the goals laid out in the Paris Climate agreement. Sweden leads the group of high-performing countries, as it did in the 2018 and 2019 Indices. The other four top performing countries in the top five are Denmark, Morocco, the UK and Lithuania. The US is in last place. The 2020 Climate Change Performance Index tracks the performance of 57 countries and the EU on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy. The 2020 Index finds that “no country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating,” meaning that no country is yet “on a path compatible with the Paris climate targets.” Countries are assessed based on their compatibility with ambitions to keep temperatures from warming beyond 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial norms.

On GHG emissions, 31 out of 57 high-emitting countries recorded decreasing emissions. Sweden received a very high rating and Egypt received a high rating for its comparatively low level of current GHG per capita emissions, additional emission reductions over recent years and an ambitious 2030 target. The UK is classified as medium for current per capita emissions, but achieved high ratings for the other three GHG emissions indicators, including a high rating for its 2030 GHG emission target. The bottom performers in this category include the Republic of Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Overall, no country received a very high rating for all the renewable energy indicators, which indicates that there is significant room for improvement in mitigating emissions by accelerating deployment of renewable energy. However, the Index states that, “additions of renewable power generation outpaced net installations of fossil fuel and nuclear power”. Sweden, Latvia and Denmark were the top performers in renewable energy. The bottom performers on renewable energy are Malaysia, Iran and the Russian Federation. The report emphasizes that Malaysia has failed to make any improvements in renewable energy, and the Russian Federation has a very low rating for its ambition in the 2030 target. On energy use, Malta, Morocco and Mexico are the top performers. Saudi Arabia, Canada and the Republic of Korea are the bottom three performers.

On climate policy, no country received a very high rating for the category, although Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Norway achieved a very high rating for their international climate policy performance. Portugal ranked first, followed by Finland, recognized for its target to become carbon neutral by 2035 and its ban on burning coal by 2029. Morocco ranked high based on its ambitious 2030 targets. The bottom three performers are Turkey, the US, and Australia.

The Index is prepared by a group of thinktanks comprising the NewClimate Institute, the Climate Action Network and Germanwatch. To read the complete report click here (PDF).

Related
We are Falling Further Behind on Emissions Reduction
Heat Records Tell Us What We Need to Know
You Can't Say You Haven't Been Warned

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Event - ASES Solar 20/20 (Annual National Solar Conference) Call for Submissions

The 49th Annual National Solar Conference, ASES Solar 20/20, Renewable Energy Vision, Advances to achieve 100% renewable energy, has put out a call for participation.

This event will take place on June 23-26, 2020 in Washington DC. It will include: Women in Solar Energy (WISE) luncheon, solar installer training, electric vehicle & solar cooking demos, international solar applications, tours of local green breweries, solar citizen action day, stronger together forum, oral/poster presentations, student engagements and keynote speeches. Share your research, programs, operations, personal actions, and visions.  Interested parties are welcome to submit presentation abstracts in these tracks:

• Policy (International, National, State, Intra-state, City)
• Finance (Energy Economics, Investment Strategies, Consumer Choice)
• Technology (PV, Solar Thermal, Buildings, Grid Modernization, Resource Assessment)
• Education (Engaging Policy Makers, Pre-K to General Public, Training)
• Industry (Installers, Manufacturers, Innovation, Best Practices, Job Creation)

Sign up to participate in these special dialogue events:

Stronger Together Town Hall – Brings together representatives from environmental, activist, and business groups to forge new joint policy and personal action strategies.

Solar Citizen Action Day – Brings people together that are experienced in communicating with Congress with those who want to learn, and then visit Congressional offices with key messages about 100% renewable energy pathways.

Student Engagement – Best Presentation Contest (Poster submissions will be judged and winners will summarize their work in a lively highlight session) and Solar Speed Networking (Session with mentors ready to answer any questions that students have about work in the renewable energy world and to find out more about issues that most concern students).

Submissions will close January 15, 2020.

Click here to access the submission form.

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Greta Says World Leaders are Doing Nothing Except "Clever Accounting and Creative PR"

Greta Thunberg delivered a powerful speech at this year's UN climate change conference (COP25) in Madrid. The Swedish activist said "we no longer have time to leave out the science," and she accused world leader of “clever accounting and creative PR” to avoid action on the climate crisis. Thunberg said the world's rapidly declining carbon budgets would be gone within eight years based on current emission levels. "How do you respond to the fact that basically nothing is being done about this without feeling the slightest bit of anger? And how do you communicate this without sounding alarmist? I would really like to know,” she said.

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Norwegian Aviation Company Orders 60 Electric Planes

Norway's OSM Aviation Academy is committed to fully electrifying its fleet of planes. OSM is a company that specializes in recruitment and training for the aviation industry. They have ordered 60 all electric planes from Colorado-based electric aircraft manufacturer Bye Aerospace. This is the largest single order for commercial electric planes to date. Recently Canadian company Harbour Air made history with its first test flight as part of its bid to be the world's first all electric airline.

Bjørn Granviken, Managing Director of the OSM Aviation Academy supports sustainability focused innovation.  "It’s important that the airline industry steps up to the challenge of developing more environment-friendly transport. At OSM Aviation, we’re committed to pursuing a socially responsible and sustainable business," Granviken said. However, this groundbreaking move is also good for the bottom line. Lower maintenance and fuel costs are expected to cut operating expenses by 80 percent. While it costs $110/hr. to operate a conventional training plane, the all-electric planes will cost only $20 per hour.

The eFlyer 2, formerly known as the Sun Flyer, uses a Siemens propulsion system: a 57 lb. SP70D motor with a 90kW peak rating (120 HP), and a continuous power setting of up to 70kW (94 HP). The eFlyer 2 successfully completed its first official flight test on February 8, 2019. Each two-seater aircraft will cost $350,000.

OSM is a test case for numerous other possible commercial applications for fully electric aircraft.  It is also an opportunity to take well warranted pride at advancing emissions free flight.  "We’re proud to take the lead in the future of green aviation," said Espen Høiby, CEO of OSM.

Related
The Limitations of Zero Emission Electric Planes
We Need Alternatives to Traditional Air Travel
Decarbonization Through Electrification in the Transportation Sector
Air Travel and Climate Change

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Heat Records Tell Us What We Need to Know

This year will go down in history as one of the warmest years on record and 2019 will also be remembered for the month of July which is the hottest month ever recorded.  The months of June, September and October also broke records. Except for January of this year, each month in 2019 has been in the top three hottest on record.

Although parts of North America were colder than usual in October,  it is important to remember that we are talking about global average temperatures. According to NOAA, temperatures in the rest of the world were all above the 30-year average (1981-2010). So even if it was or is colder in some places, that does not detract from the veracity of global warming.

As reported by the Weather Network, it is very likely that 2019 will end up being the second-warmest year on record behind 2016. According to NOAA, there's an 85 percent chance that 2019 will be the second hottest year on record and a 99.9 percent chance that 2019 will be one of the five warmest years on record (NOAA's current global average yearly heat rankings are as follows: 1st: 2016, 2nd: 2015, 3rd: 2017, 4th: 2018, and 5th: 2014).

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) provisional, State of the Global Climate report for 2019, the last five year period, "is currently estimated to be 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial (1850-1900) times and 0.2 degrees Celsius warmer than 2011-2015".  This is important in light of the fact that the Paris Agreement warns us to keep temperatures from warming beyond the 1.5 C above pre-industrial norms.

While one month or one year does not prove the existence of climate change, the longer term temperature record makes a compelling case. We have seen 419 consecutive months of above average temperatures. We have not seen below average temperatures in 35 years. The five warmest decades on record have all occurred in the last 50 years. The most recent decade (2010s) was the warmest in recorded history. "Since the 1980s, each successive decade has been warmer than any preceding decade since 1850," the WMO wrote. Nine of the ten warmest years have all occurred in the last decade, the five warmest years have all occurred in the past five years.

Terrestrial heat records are not our only concern. We have seen ocean heat records that may be the climate canary in the marine coalmine. We also need to appreciate the gravity of Arctic heatwaves and unprecedented Arctic wildfires which emitted 50 megatons of carbon dioxide in June.

In 2019 we saw heatwaves break records all around the world. From India to Alaska, records are falling as record breaking heat is becoming the new normal. Europe suffered through brutal heatwaves that broke records in more than a dozen countries. Most recently Australia is suffering from another summer of record breaking heat and unprecedented wildfires. A UN report found that heatwaves were the deadliest weather hazard in the 2015-19 period, affecting all continents and setting new national temperature records.

At the start of COP25 UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the world was "losing the race" on climate change.  Despite a plethora of warnings climate change causing carbon emissions are still increasing. As long as this trend continues temperatures will continue to rise. The world is warming at an ever accelerating rate and we are running out of time to stop it.

Related
The World Keeps Warming as We are Running Out of Time

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