Climate Horizons 10 (Ten Myths About Climate Change)
News, Views and Solutions in an All-of-the-Above World
Greetings!
We’ve vetted and selected a range of worthwhile climate-related news and information and resources for you. Atop those, we’d like to start by highlighting 10 all-too common myths that are raised by climate change deniers…. in our political realm, our face-to-face discussions and in great abundance on social media.
You can find a lot of sites that tackle these myths — with basic facts and valuable links that can help you understand some of the issues better and also arm you with good information and resources if and when you find yourself confronted with these false arguments.
We like this particular one from EARTH•ORG.
10 Myths About Climate Change
from EARTH.ORG
Climate change is the biggest existential threat human civilisation has faced in its thousands of years of existence. As a result, there is an inexhaustible amount of information surrounding it—and with it, lots of false information and many myths. Here are 10 myths you may encounter most frequently about climate change, and why they are incorrect.
Myth 1: “Earth’s Climate Has Always Been Changing. This is No Different.”
Myth #2: “It’s Cold Outside So Global Warming Isn’t Real.”
Myth #3: “The Sun is Responsible For Global Warming.”
Myth #4: “Humans Release An Insignificant Amount of CO2. We Can’t Be the Cause of Global Warming.”
Myth #5: “Not All Scientists Agree That Humans are Causing Climate Change.”
Myth #6: “So What? Climate Change Isn’t Even That Bad.”
Myth #7: “There’s Nothing We Can Do About It.”
Myth #8: “Renewable Energy is Too Expensive.”
Myth #9: “[Insert Country Here] is the Problem, They Should Fix It!”
Myth #10: “It’s Too Late.”
Click here to find the responses and resources.
Earth.Org is a leading environmental news website dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of crucial issues affecting our planet through independent, high-quality journalism.
Our goal is to raise awareness and foster a better understanding of the pressing environmental challenges we face, from climate change and energy to pollution and biodiversity loss as well as inspire societal change so that life can be made sustainable on this planet.
We aspire to be a voice, a lifeline, and a place of sanity in a world of increasing chaos. To learn more, read our Mission Statement or click here to learn more about our viewership.
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• SELECTED NEWS and INFORMATION:
A few recent news items, usually in the form of a headline and link, along with a short description or excerpt.
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Yale Climate Connections (November 9, 2023)
Can we still avoid 1.5 degrees C of global warming?
Global temperatures are approaching a crucial threshold.
Strictly speaking, it’s not yet impossible to keep from heating our world more than 1.5 degrees Celsius beyond the average global air temperature of the mid-to-late 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution was gaining momentum. In practical terms, though, the odds of keeping global warming to 1.5°C are dwindling fast — though just how fast has been a matter of sharp debate. Here are a few points to help you navigate this critical and contentious topic.
Why is the 1.5°C threshold for global warming important?
The 2015 Paris agreement called for keeping the increase “well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels.” A 2018 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described escalating risks of long-term warming above 1.5°C, such as heightened threats of extreme weather, sea level rise, crop losses, and widespread coral reef die-offs.
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Hannah Ritchie: Sustainability by numbers (September 5, 2023)
Biofuels: the US could switch to electric cars and solar power on just a fraction of the land
Biofuels have possibly made climate change worse, not better. There's a way to put this land to better use.
Putting food into cars is a poor use of land. And solar needs less land than many people expect. That’s the two conclusions I reach when I look at biofuel numbers in the US.
The US is the world’s second-largest cereal producer. But only a fraction of that goes into human mouths. 44% goes to animal feed. And 44% to biofuels.
Take a look at the chart below. It shows where the USA’s domestic corn goes. You can see the massive growth in biofuels over the last few decades. It makes up basically all of the country’s growth in cereal demand.
AND:
Putting cereals into cars is not only bad for climate change, it’s a terrible use of land.
With some simple back-of-the-envelope calculations (if you spot any errors, please let me know), we can see just how much potential this land has.
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The Guardian (November 8, 2023)
Human-caused heating behind extreme droughts in Syria, Iraq and Iran, study finds
The affects of the drought have been wide-ranging, causing millions to flee rural areas, soaring food prices, wildfires and air pollution and fishing rivers and lakes to dry up.
In Syria, 2 million rural people have been displaced and 12 million people – 60% of the population – were reportedly experiencing food insecurity. Almost every province of Iran has been severely affected by the drought and poor harvests have caused spikes in food prices.
Otto said: “The threat of drought is rapidly increasing in a warming world, destroying livelihoods and disrupting global food systems.
“While countries made extremely wealthy by fossil fuels can pay for adaptive measures to enjoy a comfortable standard of living in a hotter, harsher world, poorer countries reeling in the aftermath of war, cannot. This is also true for poorer people in rich societies, highlighting again how the continued burning of fossil fuels increases inequality.”
• GOOD NEWS and SOLUTIONS:
A number of items that highlight either real and notable progress being made somewhere or information about a few of the many solutions that are out there and available today.
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electrec (October 12, 2023)
Electric vehicle sales hit 7.9% of US market as Volvo, Mercedes, and Hyundai post sizable gains
EV sales surged past 300,000 for the first time in the third quarter, a nearly 50% increase over last year. As automakers like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Hyundai ramp production, Tesla’s market share is slipping.
The latest quarterly EV sales estimates from Cox Automotive dropped Thursday, showing a record 313,086 electric cars sold from July to September. EV sales have now expanded for 13 straight quarters.
Electric vehicles accounted for 7.9% of total US auto sales in Q3, up from 6.1% a year ago and 7.2% in Q2.
EV sales surged 49.8% compared to last year, increasing 5% from the 298,039 sold in Q2. The data shows most automakers have picked up the pace significantly over the past year.
RELATED: While EV (BEV and PHEV) sales are starting to rise rapidly in the United States, global sales rates are even higher.
From the ELECTRIC VEHICLES WORLD SALES DATABASE
EV shares continued to climb in all markets. BEVs (10 %) and PHEVs (4,1 %) stood for 14,1 % of global light vehicle sales at the close of H1, compared to 11,3 % in 2022 H1. Norway had the highest market share of EVs in H1 (BEVs 75 % + PHEVs 6 %), China had 30,5 %, Europe 19,7 % and USA 8,7 %.
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Inside Climate News (November 9, 2023)
Why Michigan’s Clean Energy Bill Is a Really Big Deal
A comparison with laws in Illinois and Minnesota shows the scope of the state’s ambition.
Michigan is set to become the third state in the Midwest and twelfth in the country to require a shift to clean electricity.
Of all those states, Michigan is one of the most ambitious because of the extent of the change it is making.
Michigan’s target year for reaching 100 percent clean electricity is 2040, which is as soon or sooner than every state except for Rhode Island. (The bill that would do this is heading to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for an expected signature, as Aydali Campa and I wrote this week.)
And, Michigan is starting from a place of having unusually dirty electricity, with nearly two-thirds of its current supply coming from fossil fuels.
To better understand this, I spoke with Jacob Corvidae of RMI, the clean energy research and advocacy group…
• THINGS YOU CAN DO:
For this section, this week we have selected a well-organized site from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which offers a number of good suggestions in six different categories about what you can do to help fight climate change.
What You Can Do About Climate Change
You can lessen the impacts of climate change by making choices that help advance solutions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many of these actions apply to both individuals and small- and medium-sized businesses. Decisions that we all make today can shape the world for decades and even centuries to come. Not only are these actions good for the environment, but they are also good for personal and community health, equity, environmental justice, quality of life, and our shared futures.
Explore the topics below, each of which has 6-8 specific suggestions:
• INTERNET RESOURCES & SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS:
There are a lot of great resources on the web and social media — people, groups and pages. In each newsletter, we suggest one or two you might want to check out (on the web or Facebook or Threads or Instagram or any number of other sites).
This week, especially for educators: Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network
Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN)
The CLEAN project, a part of the National Science Digital Library, provides a reviewed collection of resources to aid students' understanding of the core ideas in climate and energy science, coupled with the tools to enable an online community to share and discuss teaching about climate and energy science.
“CLEAN is an exceptional collection of well vetted resources.
Our group, Classrooms for Climate Action, incorporates resources
from CLEAN when we co-create our units with teachers.”
-Elementary Educator
If you are not familiar with CLEAN, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network primary efforts include building and organizing a well-reviewed collection of free, high-quality teaching materials about climate and energy.
CLEAN also supports the CLEAN Network, a community of professionals committed to improving climate and energy literacy!
A professionally diverse community of over 800 members committed to improving climate and energy literacy locally, regionally, nationally, and globally, to enable responsible decisions and actions. The CLEAN Network has been a dynamic group since 2008 and is now led by the CLEAN Leadership Board established in 2016.
Join the Network to get access to a vibrant email list where members share ideas and resources related to climate and energy literacy and coordinate events. You'll also get the details on our weekly telecons right into your inbox.
ON THE WEB: Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network
ON FACEBOOK: Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network
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