This is the archived ‘Ecology news’ page on The Multiplural World for August 2024. Items with red headlines indicate they were published in full on the home page of the website and emailed to website subscribers. Previous months are archived here (commencing March 2024). Comments and information in square brackets [ ] are by the website editors.
Ecology newsroll headlines on The Multiplural World, August 2024
As the ‘doomsday’ Thwaites Glacier melts in Antarctica, can an artificial barrier save it?, by Fred Pearce, published in Yale E360, Aug 26, 2024 Relatively warm ocean currents are weakening the base of Antarctica’s enormous Thwaites Glacier, whose demise could raise sea levels by as much as seven feet. To separate the ice from those warmer ocean waters, scientists have put forward an audacious plan to erect a massive underwater curtain.
Report says Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were four times its average annual emissions due to wildfires, The Canadian Press, Aug 28, 2024 Planet-warming emissions released by Canada’s record-breaking 2023 wildfires were quadruple the country’s fossil fuel emissions for the previous year, surpassed only by the three most high-emitting countries, a new NASA study has found. The study published on August 28 in the journal Nature (nine-page pdf) says only China, India and the United States release more carbon per year than Canada’s 2023 wildfires did from May to September. Lead author Brendan Byrne called the results “pretty shocking” and says they raise concerns about whether Canada’s boreal forest can be relied on in the future to absorb more carbon than it emits…
Global overheating and the Australia gov’t commitment to militarism and war. Analysis by James Beattie, in Pearls And Irritations, Aug 28, 2024 [This brief report draws attention to the fact that imperialist military and economic aggression, on full display in Ukraine against Russia and in the South China Sea against China, sounds a death knell for an overheating world. But the report offers not the slightest alternative course. Rather, it ends with a naive wish: that ‘maybe’ an imperialist warmaker such as the Australian government [cf nuclear submarine purchases from the United States corporate war machine under the ‘AUKUS’ miliary alliance] may just “direct funding away from submarines [AUKUS] and into urgent action on global overheating”. That is naivete being sounded, not a course of effective action to counter the joined crises of global warming and rising imperialist militarism and war.]
Faced with heavier rains, cities scramble to control polluted runoff, by Jon Hurdle, in Yale E360, Aug 15, 2024 …Roughly 700 municipalities in the U.S. rely on combined sewer systems, mostly in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes. These cities and towns are taking a hard look at updated climate projections showing an increase in heavy rainfall, and many are doubling down on gray infrastructure projects, which include concrete holding tanks, tunnels, and pipes that can divert and hold onto combined flows until the rain stops and treatment plants recover. Such projects can take decades to implement and cost billions of dollars. Green infrastructure is both cheaper and faster to build, but many cities are finding they don’t have much of a choice… The city of Milwaukee relies on both green and gray infrastructure, with its storage tunnels and tanks doing the heaviest lifting to reduce combined sewer overflows into Lake Michigan and local rivers. One city official estimates that the system’s ‘gray’ infrastructure can currently handle two and a half to three inches of rain at a time, while ‘green’ measures can absorb only about half an inch…
China issues guidelines to ramp up green transition of economic, social development, report by Xinhua news agency, here in The Multiplural World, Aug 11, 2024 With related reports (headlines and weblinks) included.
Laundering carbon, and the new scramble for Africa by the Arab Gulf states, by Adam Hanieh, published by the Committee for the Elimination of illegitimate Debt (Belgium), August 11, 2024 (Adam Hanieh is Professor of Political Economy and Global Development at the Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, and Joint Chair at the Institute of International and Area Studies (IIAS) at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.)
The next big climate target: Ending carbon offset scams, editorial, Washington Post, Aug 27, 2024 (here in pdf format: Ending ‘carbon offset’ scams
Related: How ‘carbon cowboys’ are cashing in on protected Amazon forest, interactive, investigative, report by the Washington Post, July 24, 2024 A six-month investigation reveals that many carbon credit ventures reap profits from public lands they have no right to and fail to share revenue with those protecting the forest
A call for degrowth: ‘The world is speeding to hell in a shopping cart’, commentary by David Dodwell, business columnist, in South China Morning Post, Aug 24, 2024 We need to move away from consumerism and find better measures of economic progress if we want to avoid a climate catastrophe (here in pdf format: A call for degrowth: ‘The world is speeding to hell in a shopping cart’
[There is much that is lacking in this commentary in making an argument in favor of degrowth. The significance of the commentary is not so much what it says as where it is published and by whom: by a business columnist in a leading capitalist newspaper of the world. The published column puts to shame the ‘ecosocialists’ and other ‘left-wing’ environmentalists (eg. Naomi Klein) who fear the prospect of degrowth and who simultaneously opt for criminal silence in the face of the NATO and Western military aggressions that are on the rise and being directed against the peoples of Russia, China, Palestine and so many other peoples.]
Triple-digit temperatures scorch Texas as millions across Southwest under excessive heat warnings, ABC News, Aug 23, 2024
Related:
* Texas is likely undercounting its heat-related deaths, Texas Tribune, Aug 14, 2024
* 2023 was a record year for Texas heat deaths, Texas Tribune, Jan. 12, 2024 More than 300 Texans died from heat in 2023, the most since the state began tracking such deaths in 1989.
E. coli, diarrhea and dead fish: Europe’s rivers have a large and growing problem of sewage disposal, report by Bloomberg News, Aug 15, 2024 European countries face a 2027 deadline to improve the health of their rivers, lakes and seas. The most recent update, in 2021, found that two-thirds of the continent’s surface water hasn’t improved enough.
Old-growth forest preservation and wildfire resiliency, by Timothy Schafer (local reporter), in Nelson Daily, Aug 21, 2024 (read the report here in pdf format: Old-growth forest preservation and wildfire resiliency)
China weighs tariff increases on large, fossil fueled vehicles imported from Europe in response to heightened EU tariffs against electric vehicles made in China, South China Morning Post, Aug 24, 2024 (here in pdf format: China weighs tariff increases on large, fossil fueled vehicles imported from Europe)
China unveils groundbreaking green transition plan to reach low-carbon goals, Global Times, Aug 11, 2024 The Chinese government has unveiled groundbreaking guidelines for accelerating a comprehensive green transition in all economic and social sectors. It is the central government’s first systematic deployment of its green and low-carbon goals, the Xinhua news agency is reporting…
Related: China’s record on renewable energy expansion is impressive, but can overall greenhouse gas emissions be lowered?, analysis in South China Morning Post, Aug 19, 2024 (here in pdf format: China’s record on renewable energy expansion is impressive, but can overall greenhouse gas emissions be lowered?)
Thousands of doctors in Australia sound alarm on health risks linked to fossil fuel pollution, report by ABC News (Australia), Aug 14, 2024 A new report released by a group of doctors in Australia finds that fossil fuel pollution is killing more people globally than smoking and is increasing rates of heart disease, cancer and poor pregnancy outcomes. The report, ‘Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard’, was issued in Canberra on August 14 by Doctors for the Environment, a group representing thousands of doctors and health professionals across Australia. The report also finds fossil fuels are contaminating human bodies with plastics…
Related: Australian doctors issue ‘Code Red’ warning in new report warning climate pollution is the world’s biggest killer, media release by Doctors For the Environment (Australia), Aug 14, 2024
China’s ambassador to South Africa challenges the Western countries to match China’s assistance to Africa in transitioning off fossil fuels, South China Morning Post, Aug 18, 2024 The challenge was issued by Ambassador Wu Peng as African countries and China prepare for the 2024 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation, to take place in Beijing in September, the ninth such forum. (read the report here in pdf format: China’s ambassador to South Africa challenges the Western countries to match China’s assistance to Africa in transitioning off fossil fuels)
China-U.S. study finds urbanisation is worsening extreme drought conditions, South China Morning Post, August 18, 2024 Nearly 40 per cent of world’s cities face more severe droughts now than in 1980, pointing to need for sustainable urban design and planning (here in pdf format: China-U.S. study finds urbanisation is worsening extreme droughts)
Related: Urban growth is leading to more intense droughts for most of the world’s cities, by Ian Wright (Western Sydney University), published in The Conversation, Aug 11, 2024
China sows the seeds of self-reliance with ‘historic breakthrough’ in agricultural autonomy, South China Morning Post, Aug 14, 2024 China says it has made big strides in revitalizing a seed industry that has come under heavy scrutiny in recent years. The country is reliant on more advanced Western sources, but a nationwide push to boost self-reliance in the industry is taking place. With 1.4 billion mouths to feed, China has ramped up food-security measures against the backdrop of tensions with trading partners, notably the United States and the countries of the European Union… (here in pdf format: China sows the seeds of self-reliance in agriculture)
Related: China’s seed breeding industry thrives, as nation seeks to bolster food security, by Zhang Weilan, in Global Times, March 19, 2024
Record-setting heat waves are baking the Arctic region, Washington Post, Aug 14, 2024 (here in pdf format: Record-setting heat waves are baking the Arctic region)
China government issues new, green-transition guidelines, South China Morning Post, Aug 12, 2024 Amid rising protectionism worldwide, Beijing has vowed to accelerate China’s green transformation. It is also calling for greater global collaboration. The Chinese government has unveiled a 33-point set of guidelines that signal the first systematic deployment of green targets by China’s leaders. “We must adhere to a safe transformation at work… and accelerate a comprehensive green transition in all economic and social sectors” said the report and guidelines, issued on August 11. (here in pdf format: China government issues new, green-transition guidelines)
Related: China unveils groundbreaking green transition plan to reach low-carbon goals, by Ma Tong and Tao Mingyang, in Global Times, Aug 11, 2024 The target is for non-fossil fuels (wind, solar, hydro-electricity, offshore wind, and coastal nuclear power) to constitute 25 percent of the total energy mix by 2030. To achieve this target, the guideline emphasizes the need for the accelerated development of these energy sources, tailored to local conditions.
China is pioneering the manufacture of sand, easing extreme over-mining and its environmental impacts, South China Morning Post, Aug 13, 2024 (here in pdf format: China is pioneering widespread manufacture of sand, easing extreme over-mining)
* Concrete production is not alone in significant sand usage. Glass manufacturing and oil well fracking use tremendous amounts of sand. The total U.S. sand production used by the fracking industry surged from only 5% in 2003 to 72% in 2014 [!]. source
* In 2023, there was a total of 130 million metric tons of sand and gravel produced in the United States for industrial purposes, a record year. The United States is the world’s largest producer of industrial sand and gravel. 2023 was also a record year of production for the world as a whole. source
* Roughly 40 per cent of a typical concrete mix is sand. Fifty billion tonnes of it is mined every year to meet concrete, glass and construction demand – that’s about 17kg of sand per person. It’s taken off the beach and dredged out of rivers and oceans. source
* [Unfortunately, there are no readily-available statistics on the proportions of manufactured sand (M-sand) compared to mined (natural) sand for the imperialist countries of North America and Europe. It is doubtful they are switching to M-sand in the same proportions and pace as is China. That will only happen once they have exhausted and destroyed their natural (mined) sources of sand, just like their production of fossil fuels compared to renewable energies, and the production of everything else they lust after.]
How close are the planet’s climate tipping points?, interactive report in New York Times, Aug 11, 2024
Introduction: Earth’s warming could trigger sweeping changes in the natural world that would be hard, if not impossible, to reverse. Right now, every moment of every day, we humans are reconfiguring Earth’s climate bit by bit. Hotter summers and wetter storms. Higher seas and fiercer wildfires. The steady, upward turn of the dial on a host of threats to our homes, our societies and the environment around us. We might also be changing the climate in an even bigger way. For the past two decades, scientists have been raising alarms about great systems in the natural world that warming, caused by carbon emissions, might be pushing toward collapse. These systems are so vast that they can stay somewhat in balance even as temperatures rise. But only to a point. Once we warm the planet beyond certain levels, this balance might be lost, scientists say. The effects would be sweeping and hard to reverse. Not like the turning of a dial, but the flipping of a switch. One that wouldn’t be easily flipped back.
[The seven ‘tipping points’ examined in the above report in the NYT are: Mass death of coral reefs; abrupt thawing of permafrost; collapse of Greenland ice sheets; breakup of West Antarctic ice; sudden shift in the West African monsoon; loss of Amazon rainforest; and shutdown of Atlantic currents.]
Related: Climate tipping points are nearer than you think – our new report warns of catastrophic risk, by James Dyke (University of Exeter) and David Armstrong McKay (Stockholm University), in The Conversation, Dec 6, 2023
China balances climate and energy concerns as it endures more extreme weather, report and analysis in The Multiplural World, Aug 4, 2024 (The following report was originally published in the South China Morning Post on Aug 4, 2024. This published version includes related readings and several editorial notes by The Multiplural World.)
Charting the global warming emergency as caused by runaway capitalist expansionism (three charts:
Electricity generation in each U.S. state, interactive report in New York Times, Aug 3, 2024 In 2022, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6,343 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents. This total represents a 3.0 percent decrease since 1990, down from a high of 15.2 percent above 1990 levels in 2007. The sharp decline in emissions from 2019 to 2020 is largely due to the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (source: EPA)
Wildfires have burned 4.5 million acres in the U.S. so far in 2024, and together with fires in Canada have blanketed much of North America in smoke, New York Times, Aug 3, 2024 U.S. fire activity for 2024 is above the average for the last decade, agency data shows, and the resulting destruction has already amounted to more than what burned in all of 2023. In Canada, wildfires in 2024 are at the ten-year average for the country, though the year 2023 smashed the old record of area burned by year by wildfire. (here in pdf format: Wildfires in the U.S. have burned 4.5 million acres so far in 2024; together with fires in Canada, they have blanketed much of North America in smoke)
Temperatures in Antarctic soar 50F degrees above norm in long-lasting heat wave, Washington Post, July 31, 2024 Ground temperatures in East Antarctica have soared more than 50 degrees (28 Celsius) above normal in the second major heat wave to afflict the region in the past two years. This historic warm spell could persist for another 10 days and is an ominous example of the major temperature spikes this polar climate could experience more frequently in a warming world…
The vast marshes of Jamaica Bay, New York City once protected the future city shorelines, but the city’s growth has greatly reduced and degraded them; now global warming threatens to finish them off, report in New York Times, Aug 1, 2024
The archive of ‘Ecology news’ headlines for July 2024 on The Multiplural World is here.
