Climate Change

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

Scientists monitoring the world's largest penguin species used satellites to assess sixteen colonies in the Antarctic Peninsula, Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, representing nearly a third of the global emperor penguin population.

What they found was "probably about 50-percent worse" than even the most pessimistic estimate of current populations using computer modelling, said Peter Fretwell, who tracks wildlife from space at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).

Researchers know that climate change is driving the losses but the speed of the declines is a particular cause for alarm.

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

Our alternative—the only alternative—is to work to slow the filling of our pool.

The Climate Bathtub Model

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

Abstract

Millions of non-producing oil and gas wells around the world are leaking methane and other contaminants, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions and polluting our water, soil, and air. Quantifying methane emissions and understanding the attributes driving these emissions are important for evaluating the scale of the environmental risks and informing mitigation strategies. With our national-scale direct measurement database of 494 non-producing wells across Canada, we find total annual methane emissions from non-producing wells in Canada to be 230 kt/year (51–560 kt/year) for 2023, which is 7 (1.5–16) times higher than estimated in Canada’s National Inventory Report (34 kt/year) and accounts for 13% of total fugitive emissions from oil and natural gas systems in Canada. We show that the role of well attributes in methane emissions is best evaluated by considering the emitting component (wellhead/surface casing vent) and the spatial scale (e.g., national, provincial, subprovincial). Large uncertainties in methane emissions from non-producing wells can be reduced not only with additional measurements but also with detailed well attribute analysis using direct measurements. Identifying attributes linked to high emitters can also be used to prioritize mitigation, thereby reducing methane emissions and broader environmental risks.

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine):

• Mongabay article
• analysis cited
• analysis PDF

• This two-part Mongabay mini-series examines the current status of the climate emergency; how world leaders, scientists and the global community are responding; and what may lie ahead as the world warms beyond the crucial 1.5° Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit) limit established in the Paris Agreement 10 years ago.
• The unprecedented warming that began in 2023, continued through 2024 and extended into 2025 has caused surprise and alarm. Scientists still don’t fully understand the cause, but some fear it signals the global climate is transitioning into a new state of accelerated warming.
• 2024 was the first full calendar year to exceed 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. A recent projection finds it likely Earth will see a 20-year average warming of 1.5°C by as early as 2029, exceeding a key Paris accord goal and which could trigger self-perpetuating changes pushing Earth’s climate into a less habitable state.
• In January, President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement, signaling that the U.S. will not lead on climate action. To date, nearly all the world’s nations have fallen far short of what is needed to stay within 1.5°C. As countries submit new U.N. carbon commitments, some fear the U.S. reversal will ripple around the world.

archived (Wayback Machine)

related:

• Will Brazil’s President Lula wake up to the climate crisis?
• Global Warming Has Accelerated: Are the United Nations and the Public Well-Informed?
• A Critical Look at UN IPCC's Emissions Accounting

archived (Wayback Machine)

Secret chemicals. A hush-hush atmosphere surrounding airborne pollution. Non-disclosure agreements preventing open discussion of industry impacts.

Some of the same transparency issues that reared their heads during the early days of fracking a decade ago are making a resurgence at the state and local level across the U.S., this time with new twists under the current federal government.

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

related:

• Will Brazil’s President Lula wake up to the climate crisis?
• On Amazon destruction, will Brazil President Lula's ‘disinformation space’ be penetrated?

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/23088456

I'm going to highlight this paragraph:

It's worth saying, too, as many headlines point out, that meeting our target temperature of +1.5°C means we still lose the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. We should hope for this target, even if it's all but impossible, because it's certainly better than the alternative. But, as I've made clear, I don't think it's gonna happen.

A billion people live in areas 40 ft or less above sea level, areas that will be flooded when - not if, WHEN - the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets go. A billion climate refugees. That's not a "possibility". That's inevitable even in the best case scenario of 1.5 C. The most likely scenario - 3 to 4 C by 2100 - is exponentially worse.

Solarpunk is about radical hope. Plenty of the visions for a solarpunk future are unlikely or improbable. But none of those visions should be impossible.

A future where the seas don't rise? That's impossible.

A future where we slow the rising seas through both individual and collective action, prepare global civilization for the oncoming crisis with love, unity, and respect for every single person's basic humanity, and end capitalism? That's still worth fighting for.

archived (Wayback Machine)