Opinion | Sea-level rise could be even worse than we’ve been led to expect

ONE THING scientists are sure will happen as the world warms is that the seas will rise, putting millions of people at risk of land erosion, flooding and permanent displacement. But ask experts exactly how far oceans will advance, and their answer gets far more qualified. A study published May 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that previous estimates of how bad sea-level rise could get were too conservative — and that coastal communities must contemplate more severe, long-term impacts from humans’ addiction to fossil fuels.

The village of Ilulissat is seen near icebergs that broke off from the Jakobshavn glacier on July 24, 2013, in Ilulissat, Greenland. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Continue reading at: Opinion | Sea-level rise could be even worse than we’ve been led to expect

12 free reports on climate change and the economy » Yale Climate Connections

These resources illuminate the economic risks of climate change and prospects for a cleaner, more sustainable economy.
The significant transformations required to meet the challenges posed by climate change are also, from an entrepreneurial perspective, tremendous opportunities. Inventors, business strategists and, of course, far-sighted entrepreneurs appreciated this perspective for years. Their activities have since been chronicled and analyzed by reporters, researchers, and, in some cases, the entrepreneurs themselves.

For this month’s bookshelf on climate change and business, Yale Climate Connections has assembled two different lists. This one covers recent reports from international organizations, trade associations, and research centers. A companion Bookshelf feature compiles 12 full-length hard-cover and paperback books on this subject. The books range from 200 to 704 pages and cost between $18 and $140.
12 free reports on climate change and the economy » Yale Climate Connections

State of the climate: Heat across Earth's surface and oceans mark early 2019 » Yale Climate Connections

Global surface temperatures in 2019 are on track to be either the second or third warmest since records began in the mid-1800s, behind only 2016 and possibly 2017.
n top of the long-term warming trend, temperatures in 2019 have been buoyed by a moderate El Niño event that is likely to persist through the rest of the year.
That’s one of the key findings from Carbon Brief’s latest “state of the climate” report, a quarterly series on global climate data that now includes temperatures, ocean heat, sea levels, greenhouse gas concentrations, climate model performance and polar ice.
Ocean heat content (OHC) set a new record in early 2019, with more warmth in the oceans than at any time since OHC records began in 1940.

The latest data shows that the level of the world’s oceans continued to rise in 2019, with sea levels around 8.5 centimeters (cm) higher than in the early 1990s.
State of the climate: Heat across Earth's surface and oceans mark early 2019 » Yale Climate Connections

Tell U.S. Governors: Reject All New Gas Infrastructure

Your letter will be delivered to North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam:

The IPCC’s Special Report on 1.5˚C has made it clearer than ever that the world must change course. The fossil fuel era is over, and we must make urgent strides to clean energy. That’s why it’s crucial that we end the myth of gas as a ‘bridge fuel’ to a safe future.

Tell U.S. Governors: Reject All New Gas Infrastructure

The uncertain future of protected lands and waters

The uncertain future of protected lands and waters | Science

Not all that protected, after all
The intention of creating protected natural areas is to protect them in the long term from destructive human activities. Governments do not always follow these intentions, however, and often legally remove protections and reduce the extent of protected areas. Golden Kroner et al. looked across the United States and Amazonia over the past 200 years and found more than 700 such changes, two-thirds of which have occurred since the year 2000 (see the Perspective by Naughton-Treves and Holland). The majority of these were to permit destructive practices, such as resource extraction. Thus, these changes do not just alter status but lead to irreparable environmental harm.

Fig. 2 Patterns, trends, and causes of PADDD in the United States.
(A to C) Spatial patterns (A), temporal trends (B), and proximate causes (C) of enacted PADDD events in the United States, from 1892 to 2018 (n = 269). PA layer includes federal terrestrial PAs (source described in the materials and methods).
Continue reading at: The uncertain future of protected lands and waters

Víctor Manuel Toledo takes office as Mexico's new Secretary of Environment

AMLO has named Victor Manuel Toledo -- leading Latin American agroecologist and ethnoecologist -- as Mexico's new secretary of the environment.
The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, informed at a conference that Víctor Manuel Toledo will become the new Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
The Mexican newspaper Heraldo de México reports that Dr Toledo takes office after the resignation of former secretary Josefa González Blanco last Saturday, who presented her resignation with a letter published in her Twitter account.
Dr Toledo is from Mexico City and studied biology, has a Science PhD from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has been a professor at universities in California, Brazil, Spain, Cuba and Venezuela.

Continue reading at: Víctor Manuel Toledo takes office as Mexico's new Secretary of Environment

Electric buses surge in Latin America, Chile all-electric by 2040 - Electrek

A number of Latin American countries are ramping up their adoption of electric buses this year, with Chile leading the way. The country recently added 200 new electric buses to its fleet, with an expected 500 more to follow next year, as it aims to have a fully electric public transport system by 2040.

Electric buses surge in Latin America, Chile all-electric by 2040 - Electrek