Drought

Climate Change is now throwing at us Every Weapon in its Arsenal, from Heat Domes to Massive Wildfires, to Mega-Hurricanes

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – For the most part, the earth is heating up just in the way that climate change models from a decade ago had predicted if we went on spewing 35 billion tons of carbon pollution into the atmosphere every year. And we have. The frightening thing is that unfolding climate events […]

Batteries

In 2023, 86% of New Power Capacity in US will come from Renewables, with a Majority of it Solar

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Department of Energy has announced that that in 2023, 82% of new additions to electricity generation capacity in the United States will come from wind, solar and battery, and 86% in total will come from non-fossil fuel sources. Of fossil fuels, only fossil gas will provide new capacity, but […]

Climate Crisis

While World’s Eyes were on Lahaina, Canadian Provincial Capital of Yellowknife was being Evacuated for Wildfires

The Conversation

By Andrew Weaver, University of Victoria | = (The Conversation) – The devastating wildfire that destroyed the historic Maui town of Lahaina in Hawaii was still making headlines when the Northwest Territories issued an evacuation order for Yellowknife and British Columbia declared a provincewide state of emergency. All 22,000 residents of Yellowknife are being evacuated […]

Climate Crisis

Drilling our way to Climate Doom: The US leads the World in Oil and Gas Production

Foreign Policy in Focus

By Edward Hunt | ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – The United States is producing record amounts of oil and natural gas, despite the fact that the ongoing use of these fossil fuels poses an existential threat to the planet. Even today, as the planet faces catastrophic warming, leaders in both the Democratic and […]

Climate Crisis

Collapse 2.0: What a 2005 Bestseller Tells us about Climate Change and Human Survival

Michael T. Klare

( Tomdispatch.com ) – Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, geographer Jared Diamond focused on past civilizations that confronted severe climate shocks, either adapting and surviving or failing to adapt and disintegrating. Among those were the Puebloan culture of Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, the ancient Mayan civilization of Mesoamerica, and the Viking settlers […]

Climate Crisis

Hawaii’s Climate Future: Its Dry regions will get Drier as Earth Heats, increasing Fire Risk

The Conversation

By Kevin Hamilton, University of Hawaii | – The islands of Hawaii are world renowned for their generally pleasant and tranquil weather. However, the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfire tragedy on Maui was a stark reminder that Hawaii also can experience drought and hot, dry, windy weather, providing the conditions for destructive fires. Hawaii has seen […]

Climate Crisis

When we Drive Gasoline Cars & Run Air Conditioning off Coal, We’re declaring a Hot War on Ourselves

Frida Berrigan

( Tomdispatch.com ) – Too hot. Too dry. Too many weapons. This world needs changing. But that’s too vague. After all, this world is already changing, just not in ways that are good for you and me. You know the facts. July 2023 was the hottest month on record — ever — since we humans […]

Climate Crisis

After Maui: Why Sultan al-Jaber both is and isn’t the Right chief for the COP28 Climate Summit

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sultan al-Jaber, the controversial chairman of the COP28 climate conference, is a United Arab Emirates businessman extraordinaire. His role and that of COP28 appear all the more important in the wake of the terrifying wildfires that swept the tropical island (!) of Maui this week and destroyed the ancient capital […]

Climate Crisis

Condition Critical: Desertification Threatens to Turn Iran’s Future to Dust

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty

By Michael Scollon ( RFE/RL ) – Temperatures in Iran are hitting record highs, rivers and lakes are drying up, and prolonged droughts are becoming the norm, highlighting a water crisis that is turning much of the country’s territory to dust. The desertification of Iran is occurring at a staggering pace, with officials last month […]