Newsdesk – January 12 – Think Global Green

An Argo float is deployed into the ocean. Photograph: CSIRO

Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second. The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and combined measurements of the surface temperature of the ocean since 1871 with computer models of ocean circulation. Global warming has heated the oceans by the equivalent of one atomic bomb explosion per second for the past 150 years, according to analysis of new research. More than 90% of the heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed by the seas. The vast amount of energy being added to the oceans drives sea-level rise and enables hurricanes and typhoons to become more intense. Rising sea level has been among the most dangerous long-term impacts of climate change, threatening billions of people living in coastal cities. Estimating future rises is vital in preparing defences. Some of the rise comes from the melting of land-bound ice in Greenland and elsewhere, but another major factor has been the physical expansion of water as it gets warmer – The Guardian

The World Lost $160 Billion to Disasters Last Year, and Climate Change Played a Big Role – Gizmodo
Joshua Tree national park announces closure after trees destroyed amid shutdown – The Guardian
Milan: The Grey City Is Going Green – Forbes
Greenland’s residents grapple with global warming – Reuters
Guardian to be first national newspaper with biodegradable wrapping – The Guardian
How soon will climate change force you to move? – Fast Company
Not all environmentalists eat tofu: the hunters fighting climate change – The Guardian

From reports confirming that climate chaos is already upon us, to extreme wildifires, wildlife population declines, and Trump’s relentless attacks on environmental regulations, 2018 hasn’t been kind to the environment. Photo courtesy of banksy.co.uk.

The Most Important Environmental Stories of 2018. This past year offered us much to be worried about the environmental new side, but glimmers of hope flickered through as well. Those of us working to protect our living world are also impacted by the goings on in our society as much anyone else, and this past year’s events have definitely stretched our emotional resources. While 2018 gave us much to be concerned about — including the devastating California wildfires and new US and international climate reports — thankfully there have also been and some positive developments that offer hope. Here’s our expert-sourced list of the most important stories of 2018 that are likely to have long-term impacts on the environment – Earth Island Journal

Before they disappear: Treasured UNESCO sites at risk from climate change. “Virtually every World Heritage site has some level of threat from climate change,” said Adam Markham, deputy director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a science advocacy NGO based in the United States. There are 1,092 must-see spots currently on the UNESCO World Heritage list, including the remote Rapa Nui — also known as Easter Island. But, if climate change continues unchecked, these remarkable treasures might lose their value. Some sites may even be lost forever. From the sinking city of Venice to the mass bleaching of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, climate change is drastically impacting some of the world’s most treasured heritage sites – CNN

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was being sworn in on Jan. 3 with the new Congress, has led the push for a Green New Deal along with the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate activist movement that formed shortly after Donald Trump’s election. Credit: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

New Congress Members See Climate Solutions and Jobs in a Green New Deal. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Sunrise Movement and other outspoken supporters want to avoid what they see as a fatal misstep of past climate efforts: setting the bar too low. As Democrats took control of the House , it remains to be seen whether they will embrace the vision for 100 percent clean energy within 10 years, a public-works program with good-paying federal jobs and a just transition for workers and polluted communities. Still more uncertain is whether they can forge the Green New Dealers’ lofty goals into viable federal policy. One challenge that is sure to command attention is how to pay for it, with some arguing it’s too costly, others maintaining the costs of inaction will be worse, and still others pointing to carbon pricing as a logical revenue source – InsideClimate News

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