Iceberg twice the size of New York City is set to break away from Antarctica

An iceberg roughly twice the size of New York City is set to break away from an Antarctic ice shelf as a result of a rapidly spreading rift that is being monitored by Nasa.

The shear face of the massive B-15A iceberg in McMurdo
Sound after it broke off the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. 

A crack along part of the Brunt ice shelf in Antarctica first appeared in October 2016, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). The crack is spreading to the east. 

This rift, known as a Halloween crack, is set to intersect with another fissure that was apparently stable for the past 35 years but is now accelerating north at a rate of around 2.5 miles a year.

Once these two rifts meet, which could happen within weeks, an iceberg of at least 660sq miles is set to be loosened.

Read the story from The Guardian by Oliver Milman - “Iceberg twice the size of New York City is set to break away from Antarctica.”

No More Foam!’ Mayor Marks Start of NYC Styrofoam Ban

A law barring New York City food-service businesses and stores from using most Styrofoam products has gone into effect.

With the start of 2019, styrofoam is banned across New
York City - Mayor Marks announces the new law.

The Styrofoam ban is among more than a dozen new laws that went into effect on New Year’s Day.

The prohibition includes food containers and loose packing fill made from what's known as expanded polystyrene. Exceptions include butcher-counter containers for raw meat.

Read the NBC story - “‘No More Foam!’ Mayor Marks Start of NYC Styrofoam Ban.”

Human Rights Hearing: Emotional Testimony, No Oil Industry Response

NEW YORK—In a steady, unflinching voice, Marinel Ubaldo told a story of a life torn apart by a powerful typhoon and set the tone for a hearing in New York City by the Philippines Commission on Human Rights in an unusual investigation about corporate responsibility and climate change.

As the first to testify on Thursday, Ubaldo recounted the horror of witnessing buildings topple and debris flying as Typhoon Haiyan swept through her village in Samar, killing 11. The category 5 storm reduced her home to a heap of rubble that buried her most precious possession—a box of medals and certificates that helped frame her identity as a good student—and left behind a family torn apart by the struggle to rebuild. In all, the monster 2013 storm killed 6,300 in the Philippines.

The human toll of Typhoon Haiyan was steep in Tacloban,
Philippines in 2013 and now a human rights investigation
eyes the role of fossil fuel companies.

She explained how her father, a fisherman, had trouble catching enough fish even when he sailed farther out to sea. Her mother abandoned the family saying she couldn’t handle it anymore. Ubaldo was 16.

Read the Climate Liability News story by Ucilia Wang - “Human Rights Hearing: Emotional Testimony, No Oil Industry Response.”

The Maps You Can’t Unsee

As Hurricane Sandy moved into New York City in 2012, I walked out to the Hudson River and watched the water churn. It was more gray-green than usual, and frothy, and high. Really high. On the Jersey City side, it seemed to be just a foot or two below the retaining walls running along the riverside walk. 

Hurricane Sandy, 2012.

Later in the day, the Hudson would break above those walls and flood into the streets. Like downtown Manhattan, much of downtown Jersey City was inundated. Parts of Hoboken, just up the river, would stay submerged for days.

Over the next days and weeks, climate change became local for many of us. Global mean projections rattled off in media reports turned into block-by-block discussions of who got flooded and where you could get heat and power. Opinions changed and hardened, and took politicians along with them.

Read the Medium story by Michael Segal - “The Maps You Can’t Unsee."

Claiming back the pedestrians' rightful territory

(Here in Shepparton – my hometown in Victoria, Australia – traders want the city’s Maude St pedestrian mall re-opened to slow moving, privately owned vehicles, seemingly oblivious to the international emergence of shoppers on foot, a research illustrated preference, and along with that, coming is a shift to driverless, public transport. Lloyd Alter’s story about what is happening in America’s New York City illustrates that Sheppartonians need to think deeply before putting vehicles, particularly privately owned cars and motorcycles, back in the city’s mall – Robert McLean.)  

The spacious footpaths New York City
once had (bottom) and the almost
non-existent pedestrian refuges
people are now forced to share (top).
 

Riding a Citibike in New York City can be scary, especially in rush hour. I was in the city recently for a conference and dealing with the trucks and big black cars was hard enough, but the hardest part was riding down Seventh Ave and dealing with people walking in the street. It was clear that they were there because the sidewalks are just too crowded to cope.

Winnie Hu of the New York Times covered the subject recently, in New York's sidewalks are so packed, that pedestrians are taking to the streets.

The problem is particularly acute in Manhattan. Around Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal, two of the city’s main transit hubs, commuters clutching coffee cups and briefcases squeeze by one another during the morning and evening rushes. Throngs of shoppers and visitors sometimes bring swaths of Lower Manhattan to a standstill, prompting some local residents to cite clogged sidewalks as their biggest problem in a recent community survey.

Read the Treehugger story by Lloyd Alter - "It's time to take back the streets and to make our sidewalks grand again.”

Minister's ease with emissions is confusing

-      Robert McLean.

I’m confused, even though reasonably aware of what is being said in the climate conversation and the science around which is revolves.

Environment Minister, Greg Hunt -
completely at ease with
Australia's emissions position.
 

And so anyone less aware of the facts and myths in the climate conversation would have the impression that Australia’s leads the world in terms of its response to climate change or would be completely disengaged as the “blah, blah, blah” was simply too much for them.

Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, emerged from yesterday’s New York City signing of the Paris climate agreement claiming Australia would “meet and beat” its carbon dioxide emission reduction targets, quoting a plethora of numbers with such authority that it suggested that his countrymen need no longer concern themselves about climate change.

Although he did not say it in so few world, the implication was that the Turnbull Government was completely on top of the  whole climate change dilemma when reality contradicts every observation he made – the world is losing, of has lost its fight with climate change and mitigation efforts alone are both inadequate and inappropriate and we should be turning our attention to adaptation.

The latter, however, offends the philosophy upon which the ideologies of Mr Hunt and his counterparts so desperately cling as adaptation, which was in any way adequate, demands a change antithetical to their beliefs.

The Turnbull Government and its ideologues see profit and growth as the only solution to climate change when those remotely aware of climate change and its causes can see the machinations of capitalism as the root cause.

It would be grossly unfair to suggest Mr Hunt was spreading mistruths for seen from his position , he is not even justifying his, or his government’s behaviour, rather simply explaining what happened in New York City, again with his embellishments of what is happening in Australia.

My shoulders droop.

Here on the ground it is quite different – we are almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels  for both energy and transport, we are digging and selling our coal to overseas nations, we are exploiting our rich gas reserves, have done almost nought to encourage the creation and building of alternative energy supplies and appear to be privatizing all that we can just as quickly as we can, apparently oblivious that the public infrastructure is usually vastly more energy efficient  and simply better for people than anything a profit-driven private enterprise can muster.

Yes, I’m confused, listen to an apparently confident Mr Hunt and all is well, but take note of our climate scientists and others who understand that damage humans have caused to Earth’s climate system, and the story is not near so reassuring.

Controlling the world economy at the nub of mitigating, adapting to climate change

-      Robert McLean.

Understanding and marshalling the world economy (controlling it) is at the nub of mitigating and adapting to climate change.

Yes, until we can rein back the world’s prolific spending, driven by the idea that unbridled consumption as cherished by the prevailing market economy will resolve the ills of the world’s climate system, our future will be delicate, difficult and disruptive in ways we yet don’t fully appreciate.

The world economy has colonized the climate change conversation and many have fallen in with the idea that it is a dynamic from which profits can be made, rather than work to preserve life on earth.

The United Nations has said that “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”, which appears to contradict much of what is presently happening.

The idea that we can invest sustainably will be discussed at a forum later this year in New York City, read about it here - “Sustainable Investment Forum.”

Executive Director, UNFCCC, Christiana Figueres, has said ”The finance sector will make the difference... you cannot build what you do not finance- you are the architects of the future”.

The forum organizers said, on their website, “The Paris agreement has now been signed, uniting 193 countries in a binding agreement to limit global warming to under 2C.

“Global governments are now charged with moving further and faster than ever before to tackle climate change, creating an unstoppable transition to a low carbon economy that will ensure the end of the fossil fuel age. $100 billion has been committed to financing such climate action in developing countries, creating new opportunities for sustainable innovation and collaboration.”

The mention of $100 billion excites many for rather rude and brutal mercenary reasons as they see only the chance of immediate personal wealth, rather than being part of a process that ensures the preservation, as much as possible, of our existing way of life.

Scooting into the future with electric assist

A

 hundred years ago all the smart young people were cruising the streets of New York and London on the Autoped, a gasoline powered folding scooter. In our earlier coverage of it we quoted:

“This fascinating machine represents the world’s first model of scooter. It was the only motorcycle to be built in New York City. Though adopted by the U.S. Post Office and other services – as well as fashion-conscious women in Europe and America – it was also used by New York gang members for easy getaways – they could motor down narrow alleys to escape police in cars behind them.”

Now, a century later, it's back in an all-electric model that looks a whole lot better and safer. It's the Smart Ped, made in Milan by Nino Klansek and the people at FlyKly, who previously brought us the FlyKly Smart Wheel for your bike. They gave TreeHugger a heads-up on their new device after seeing our Autoped coverage, but are now up on Kickstarter for all to see.

Read the TreeHugger story - “Smart Ped electric assist scooter is a great new multimodal alternative.”

Wildlife refuge now claimed to be 'climate-resistant'

T

he Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a favourite spot for the birdwatchers and nature-lovers of New York City, as well as for tourists visiting the city.

A slice of wild wetland not far from JFK Airport in Queens, the reserve hosts both freshwater and saltwater habitats, attracting a wide diversity of birds. There are over 320 different bird species that have been spotted at the site, and prior to 2012, the park received about half a million visitors per year.

But when Hurricane Sandy hit in October of 2012, this special place sustained some damage.

West Pond, a 45-acre body of brackish water, was breached and is now exposed to a higher flow of salt water. The surrounding water’s edge has changed with the new salinity, and invasive species are choking native trees.

Today, three organizations announced the start of a major restoration project, which not only aims to preserve the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge as a key habitat for migratory birds, but will work to make it more resistant to higher sea levels and a changing climate

Read the Treehugger story - “Climate-resistant restoration announced at NYC ecological treasure”.

Collaboration,communication and cohesion will enable a proper response

C

ollaboration, communication and the resulting cohesion will enable ordinary people to respond effectively to climate change.

That collaboration; collaboration we can all learn from is happening in New York City.

Writing on Grist, Ben Alder tells us “The folks who brought you the massive People’s Climate March in September are now turbocharging New York City’s efforts to combat climate change.”

His story - “NYC climate campaigners follow up blockbuster march with push for city action” – note that “Activists are now pressing the city council to pass key bills, as well as resolutions calling on state leaders to take action. The People’s Climate Movement NY is focused on three main bills, each of which has already been passed by the relevant committee.”

What’s happening in New York City is an exciting illustration of collaboration, communication and the resulting cohesion.

The dilemma of making your point about climate change

Those concerned about climate change and who understand the causes of trapped in a strange dilemma.

They know the burning of fossil fuels worsens the situation and yet they also know that those concerns can be best demonstrated through gathering in a central place; a gathering whose success is almost wholly dependent upon fossil fuels.

Writing in Rolling Stone in a story headed: “A call to arms: an invitation to demand action on climate change” activist, Bill McKibben has invited people to visit New York City.

In encouraging people to join him, Mr McKibben said it was “An invitation to anyone who’d like to prove to themselves, and their children, that the give a damn about the biggest crisis our civilization has ever faced”.

“My guess is people will come by the tens of thousands, and it will be the largest demonstration yet of human resolve in the face of climate change.

“Sure, some of it will be exciting – who doesn't like the chance to march and sing and carry a clever sign through the canyons of Manhattan? But this is dead-serious business, a signal moment in the gathering fight of human beings to do something about global warming before it's too late to do anything but watch. You'll tell your grandchildren, assuming we win”.

Mr McKibben urged people to note the dates September 20 and 21 on their.

Finally the seriousness of climate change finds its way into the serious media

An exaggerated view of
 New York City in flood
- finally the possibility is
being discussed.

The complexities of climate change have long been debated and its reality denied by many, but now, it seems, much is changing and finally a discussion suggesting its broad acceptance if finding its way into the mainstream media.

The New York Times of September 10 wrote about rising sea levels the likelihood that significant parts of New York City would flood when storm surges were worsened by increased sea levels resulting from our changing climate.

In a story headed: “New York is lagging as seas and risks rise, critics warn”, it was argued that the city was “gingerly” facing up to the intertwined threats posed by rising seas and ever-more-severe storm flooding.

Talking with the decision makers

Talking with the decision makers – a letter to Victorian Member for the Legislative Assembly, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Jeanette Powell.

Dear Jeanette,

I am unsure of your stance on climate change/global warming (call it what you prefer), but I have no doubt about Ian’s views in that he is a total skeptic about what we are experiencing being human-induced.

Jeanette Powell

Being a senior member of a conservative political party, I suspect you also stand with those who have decided reservations about the causation of climate change and so view what is happening as natural and cyclical.

Having read extensively for five or six years about the earth’s climate and listened to a host of speakers, from vastly experienced climatologists to some of the world’s greatest skeptics, I am absolutely convinced that emerging changes to our climate are without question the greatest threat humanity has ever faced.

The threat to the world, Australia and your electorate are so great that the need for a considered response exceeds, in importance, any other measured calculations presently before parliament.

Maybe that seems alarmist and apocalyptical, but sadly unless we attend to our behaviour, and within that work to build a resilient state in which profit and growth are relegated well down our list of priorities, then climate change and its implications will just that – a force so great that an unprepared community will be decimated.

It was in the late 1980s that the head of the New York City based NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and an adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, James Hansen, and his colleagues warned the world of the damage by us (humans) to earth’s atmosphere.

Extensive research illustrated, beyond question, that our world could continue to operate successfully if we acted to limit the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million.

Interesting, when the Industrial Revolution began about 200 years ago the atmospheric carbon dioxide content was about 270ppm, in the 1960s it was nearly 320ppm and today it is almost 400ppm.

Through your portfolio as Local Government Minister, I urge you to have your staff and anyone else you can influence throughout the Government, be they politicians or public servants, to consider how our State can best maintain a reasonable quality of life and equity for all as it engages with processes that will bring a stop to the present trajectory of carbon dioxide and return it to the 350ppm figure as suggested by Hansen.

I am convinced (and this is a truly difficult pill to swallow) that the richness and complexity of our society is that way because of our frivolous use of cheap energy and so it is absolutely critical that we make society poorer and so slow, appreciably, its consumptive behaviour; a behaviour that is depleting the world’s finite resources, seriously changing the world’s climate and dramatically endangering the quality of a world we will bequeath to those who follow.

Jeanette, it is remarkably difficult to escape from the “business as usual” paradigm for society as we understand it is driven by exactly the motivations that if we adhere to that template, society will unquestionably unravel.

Should you wish to talk more about this, I can visit at your office, meet for coffee, talk on the phone (5822 1766) or you can contact me via email at robed@sheppnews.com.au.

I do hope you will seriously consider this, decide on a course of action and then act.

Thank-you,

Robert McLean

February 20, 2012.