wattsupwiththat--2020-03-19--Heartland Institute Launches ClimateRealism.com

This new website will debunk the alarmist climate propaganda that dominates the media ’ s coverage of the environment ARLINGTON HEIGHTS , IL ( March 19 , 2020 ) – The Heartland Institute is proud to announce ClimateRealism.com , a new website that debunks climate scares perpetuated in the media .
ClimateRealism.com is Heartland ’ s second new climate website launched this month ; ClimateAtAGlance.com debuted last week .
Nearly every day , the establishment media promotes new climate propaganda themes designed to scare people into believing a climate crisis is at hand .
When the Climate Scare goes unrebutted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ default that the propaganda is true .
Yet most of the media ’ s climate propaganda is misleading or outright false .
ClimateRealism.com will address and debunk the media ’ s most prominent climate-related tall tales .
“ The alarmist Climate Delusion depends on people being uninformed or misinformed , ” said Heartland Institute President James Taylor .
“ ClimateRealism.com will provide policymakers , media , and the general public with timely and easy-to-understand information that debunks media-peddled climate scares .
No longer will the public have to blindly accept the climate propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the internet.
” Regular updates at ClimateRealism.com will feature concise Heartland-authored articles , as well as summaries and links to articles written by other climate realists .
The regular articles are designed to explain the truth behind the media ’ s climate scares in a clear , succinct manner .
Links within the articles will direct readers to supporting facts and information .
ClimateRealism.com will also serve as a portal linking to additional climate resources , such as Heartland ’ s new Climate-at-a-Glance website .
ClimateAtAGlance.com provides compelling , easy to digest one- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues , such as hurricanes , droughts , species impacts , and more .
The summaries are particularly valuable for policymakers , teachers , and students .
To speak to Mr. Taylor about Heartland ’ s two new websites—ClimateRealism.com and ClimateAtAGlance.com—please contact Deputy Director of Communications Keely Drukala at media @ heartland.org and 312/377-4000 or ( cell ) 312/282-1390 .
The Heartland Institute is a 36-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights , Illinois .
Its mission is to discover , develop , and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leading think tank promoting skepticism of man-caused climate change.
” The organization has sponsored 13 International Conferences on Climate Change and published the 6,000-page Climate Change Reconsidered series by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change .

Via press release:
This new website will debunk the alarmist climate propaganda that dominates the media’s coverage of the environment
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL (March 19, 2020) – The Heartland Institute is proud to announce ClimateRealism.com, a new website that debunks climate scares perpetuated in the media. ClimateRealism.com is Heartland’s second new climate website launched this month; ClimateAtAGlance.com debuted last week.
Nearly every day, the establishment media promotes new climate propaganda themes designed to scare people into believing a climate crisis is at hand. When the Climate Scare goes unrebutted, people are likely to believe by default that the propaganda is true. Yet most of the media’s climate propaganda is misleading or outright false. ClimateRealism.com will address and debunk the media’s most prominent climate-related tall tales.
“The alarmist Climate Delusion depends on people being uninformed or misinformed,” said Heartland Institute President James Taylor. “ClimateRealism.com will provide policymakers, media, and the general public with timely and easy-to-understand information that debunks media-peddled climate scares. No longer will the public have to blindly accept the climate propaganda they see on television or read on the internet.”
“With updates provided in response to these scares, people will want to make ClimateRealism.com a part of their daily internet routine,” Taylor added.
Regular updates at ClimateRealism.com will feature concise Heartland-authored articles, as well as summaries and links to articles written by other climate realists. The regular articles are designed to explain the truth behind the media’s climate scares in a clear, succinct manner. Links within the articles will direct readers to supporting facts and information.
ClimateRealism.com will also serve as a portal linking to additional climate resources, such as Heartland’s new Climate-at-a-Glance website. ClimateAtAGlance.com provides compelling, easy to digest one- and two-page summaries of frequently discussed climate issues, such as hurricanes, droughts, species impacts, and more. The summaries are particularly valuable for policymakers, teachers, and students.
To speak to Mr. Taylor about Heartland’s two new websites—ClimateRealism.com and ClimateAtAGlance.com—please contact Deputy Director of Communications Keely Drukala at media@heartland.org and 312/377-4000 or (cell) 312/282-1390.
The Heartland Institute is a 36-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. The Economist magazine called Heartland “the leading think tank promoting skepticism of man-caused climate change.” The organization has sponsored 13 International Conferences on Climate Change and published the 6,000-page Climate Change Reconsidered series by the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change.
###
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-19--How people investigate — or don’t — fake news on Twitter and Facebook

Social media platforms , such as Facebook and Twitter , provide people with a lot of information , but it ’ s getting harder and harder to tell what ’ s real and what ’ s not .
Researchers at the University of Washington wanted to know how people investigated potentially suspicious posts on their own feeds .
The team watched 25 participants scroll through their Facebook or Twitter feeds while , unbeknownst to them , a Google Chrome extension randomly added debunked content on top of some of the real posts .
Participants had various reactions to encountering a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some took it at face value , some investigated whether it was true , and some were suspicious of it but then chose to ignore it .
These results have been accepted to the 2020 ACM CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems .
“ We wanted to understand what people do when they encounter fake news or misinformation in their feeds .
Do they notice it ?
What do they do about it ?
” said senior author Franziska Roesner , a UW associate professor in the Paul G. Allen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There are a lot of people who are trying to be good consumers of information and they ’ re struggling .
If we can understand what these people are doing , we might be able to design tools that can help them.
” Previous research on how people interact with misinformation asked participants to examine content from a researcher-created account , not from someone they chose to follow .
“ That might make people automatically suspicious , ” said lead author Christine Geeng , a UW doctoral student in the Allen School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the posts looked like they came from people that our participants followed.
” The researchers recruited participants ages 18 to 74 from across the Seattle area , explaining that the team was interested in seeing how people use social media .
Participants used Twitter or Facebook at least once a week and often used the social media platforms on a laptop .
Then the team developed a Chrome extension that would randomly add fake posts or memes that had been debunked by the fact-checking website Snopes.com on top of real posts to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by people on participants ’ feeds .
So instead of seeing a cousin ’ s post about a recent vacation , a participant would see their cousin share one of the fake stories instead .
The researchers either installed the extension on the participant ’ s laptop or the participant logged into their accounts on the researcher ’ s laptop , which had the extension enabled .
The team told the participants that the extension would modify their feeds — the researchers did not say how — and would track their likes and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact , it wasn ’ t tracking anything .
The extension was removed from participants ’ laptops at the end of the study .
“ We ’ d have them scroll through their feeds with the extension active , ” Geeng said .
“ I told them to think aloud about what they were doing or what they would do if they were in a situation without me in the room .
So then people would talk about ‘ Oh yeah , I would read this article , ’ or ‘ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask questions like , ‘ Why are you skipping this ?
Why would you like that ? '
” Participants could not actually like or share the fake posts .
On Twitter , a “ retweet ” would share the real content beneath the fake post .
The one time a participant did retweet content under the fake post , the researchers helped them undo it after the study was over .
On Facebook , the like and share buttons didn ’ t work at all .
After the participants encountered all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven for Twitter — the researchers stopped the study and explained what was going on .
“ It wasn ’ t like we said , ‘ Hey , there were some fake posts in there.
’ We said , ‘ It ’ s hard to spot misinformation .
Here were all the fake posts you just saw .
These were fake , and your friends did not really post them , ' ” Geeng said .
“ Our goal was not to trick participants or to make them feel exposed .
We wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fake and what ’ s not.
” The researchers concluded the interview by asking participants to share what types of strategies they use to detect misinformation .
In general , the researchers found that participants ignored many posts , especially those they deemed too long , overly political or not relevant to them .
But certain types of posts made participants skeptical .
For example , people noticed when a post didn ’ t match someone ’ s usual content .
Sometimes participants investigated suspicious posts — by looking at who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s source or reading the comments below the post — and other times , people just scrolled past them .
“ I am interested in the times that people are skeptical but then choose not to investigate .
Do they still incorporate it into their worldviews somehow ?
” Roesner said .
“ At the time someone might say , ‘ That ’ s an ad .
I ’ m going to ignore it.
’ But then later do they remember something about the content , and forget that it was from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something we ’ re trying to study more now.
” While this study was small , it does provide a framework for how people react to misinformation on social media , the team said .
Now researchers can use this as a starting point to seek interventions to help people resist misinformation in their feeds .
“ Participants had these strong models of what their feeds and the people in their social network were normally like .
They noticed when it was weird .
And that surprised me a little , ” Roesner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say we need to build these social media platforms so that people don ’ t get confused by fake posts .
But I think there are opportunities for designers to incorporate people and their understanding of their own networks to design better social media platforms.
” Savanna Yee , a UW master ’ s student in the Allen School , is also a co-author on this paper .
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation .

University of Washington
Social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, provide people with a lot of information, but it’s getting harder and harder to tell what’s real and what’s not.
Researchers at the University of Washington wanted to know how people investigated potentially suspicious posts on their own feeds. The team watched 25 participants scroll through their Facebook or Twitter feeds while, unbeknownst to them, a Google Chrome extension randomly added debunked content on top of some of the real posts. Participants had various reactions to encountering a fake post: Some outright ignored it, some took it at face value, some investigated whether it was true, and some were suspicious of it but then chose to ignore it. These results have been accepted to the 2020 ACM CHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
“We wanted to understand what people do when they encounter fake news or misinformation in their feeds. Do they notice it? What do they do about it?” said senior author Franziska Roesner, a UW associate professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. “There are a lot of people who are trying to be good consumers of information and they’re struggling. If we can understand what these people are doing, we might be able to design tools that can help them.”
Previous research on how people interact with misinformation asked participants to examine content from a researcher-created account, not from someone they chose to follow.
“That might make people automatically suspicious,” said lead author Christine Geeng, a UW doctoral student in the Allen School. “We made sure that all the posts looked like they came from people that our participants followed.”
The researchers recruited participants ages 18 to 74 from across the Seattle area, explaining that the team was interested in seeing how people use social media. Participants used Twitter or Facebook at least once a week and often used the social media platforms on a laptop.
Then the team developed a Chrome extension that would randomly add fake posts or memes that had been debunked by the fact-checking website Snopes.com on top of real posts to make it temporarily appear they were being shared by people on participants’ feeds. So instead of seeing a cousin’s post about a recent vacation, a participant would see their cousin share one of the fake stories instead.
The researchers either installed the extension on the participant’s laptop or the participant logged into their accounts on the researcher’s laptop, which had the extension enabled. The team told the participants that the extension would modify their feeds — the researchers did not say how — and would track their likes and shares during the study — though, in fact, it wasn’t tracking anything. The extension was removed from participants’ laptops at the end of the study.
“We’d have them scroll through their feeds with the extension active,” Geeng said. “I told them to think aloud about what they were doing or what they would do if they were in a situation without me in the room. So then people would talk about ‘Oh yeah, I would read this article,’ or ‘I would skip this.’ Sometimes I would ask questions like, ‘Why are you skipping this? Why would you like that?'”
Participants could not actually like or share the fake posts. On Twitter, a “retweet” would share the real content beneath the fake post. The one time a participant did retweet content under the fake post, the researchers helped them undo it after the study was over. On Facebook, the like and share buttons didn’t work at all.
After the participants encountered all the fake posts — nine for Facebook and seven for Twitter — the researchers stopped the study and explained what was going on.
“It wasn’t like we said, ‘Hey, there were some fake posts in there.’ We said, ‘It’s hard to spot misinformation. Here were all the fake posts you just saw. These were fake, and your friends did not really post them,'” Geeng said. “Our goal was not to trick participants or to make them feel exposed. We wanted to normalize the difficulty of determining what’s fake and what’s not.”
The researchers concluded the interview by asking participants to share what types of strategies they use to detect misinformation.
In general, the researchers found that participants ignored many posts, especially those they deemed too long, overly political or not relevant to them.
But certain types of posts made participants skeptical. For example, people noticed when a post didn’t match someone’s usual content. Sometimes participants investigated suspicious posts — by looking at who posted it, evaluating the content’s source or reading the comments below the post — and other times, people just scrolled past them.
“I am interested in the times that people are skeptical but then choose not to investigate. Do they still incorporate it into their worldviews somehow?” Roesner said. “At the time someone might say, ‘That’s an ad. I’m going to ignore it.’ But then later do they remember something about the content, and forget that it was from an ad they skipped? That’s something we’re trying to study more now.”
While this study was small, it does provide a framework for how people react to misinformation on social media, the team said. Now researchers can use this as a starting point to seek interventions to help people resist misinformation in their feeds.
“Participants had these strong models of what their feeds and the people in their social network were normally like. They noticed when it was weird. And that surprised me a little,” Roesner said. “It’s easy to say we need to build these social media platforms so that people don’t get confused by fake posts. But I think there are opportunities for designers to incorporate people and their understanding of their own networks to design better social media platforms.”
###
Savanna Yee, a UW master’s student in the Allen School, is also a co-author on this paper. This research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-19--Increasingly mobile sea ice risks polluting Arctic neighbors

The movement of sea ice between Arctic countries is expected to significantly increase this century , raising the risk of more widely transporting pollutants like microplastics and oil , according to new research from CU Boulder .
The study in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth ’ s Future predicts that by mid-century , the average time it takes for sea ice to travel from one region to another will decrease by more than half , and the amount of sea ice exchanged between Arctic countries such as Russia , Norway , Canada and the United States will more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development , as well as shipping through the Central Arctic Ocean , may increase the amount of pollutants present in Arctic waters .
And contaminants in frozen ice can travel much farther than those in open water moved by ocean currents .
“ This means there is an increased potential for sea ice to quickly transport all kinds of materials with it , from algae to oil , ” said Patricia DeRepentigny , doctoral candidate in the Department for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences .
“ That ’ s important to consider when putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Arctic.
” Historically , floating masses of Arctic sea ice could survive for up to 10 years : building up layers , lasting through each summer and not moving very far during any given year .
As the climate warms , however , that pattern has been changing .
While overall , the sea ice cover is thinning – and melting entirely across vast regions in the summer – the area of new ice formed during winter is actually increasing , particularly along the Russian coastline and soon in the Central @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move faster in the increasingly open waters of the Arctic , delivering the particles and pollutants it carries to waters of neighboring states .
“ Ice moves faster , but as the climate warms , it doesn ’ t have as much time as before to travel before it melts , ” said DeRepentigny .
“ Because of that , we really see that it ’ s the regions that are directly downstream of each country ’ s waters that are going to be most affected.
” In a previous study , DeRepentigny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arctic sea ice from the instrumental record starting in 1979 , when the first continuous satellite observations began .
That study was the first to document an increase in the amount of sea ice being transported from one region to another over the last four decades .
“ That was really eye opening , ” said DeRepentigny .
“ The follow-up question then was : How is this going to play out in the future ?
It opened a really big box of new questions.
” So the researchers used a global climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tracking Utility ( SITU ) – which DeRepentigny helped develop – to track sea ice from where it forms to where it ultimately melts during the 21st century .
The researchers considered two different emissions scenarios : the more extreme “ business as usual ” scenario , which predicts warming of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius by 2100 , and a warming scenario limited to 2 degrees Celsius , inspired by the Paris Agreement .
They then modeled how the sea ice will behave in both these scenarios at the middle and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these four situations – including both mid-century predictions – the movement of sea ice between Arctic countries increased .
But in the high emissions scenario at the end of the century , they found countries could end up dealing more with their own ice and its contaminants , than ice from their neighbors .
This is because with 4 degrees or more of warming in 2100 , the majority of sea ice that freezes during winter will melt each spring in the same region where it was formed .
Russia ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ocean are two places the researchers expect more ice to form , becoming major “ exporters ” of ice to other regions in the Arctic .
An exclusive economic zone ( EEZ ) is an area extending 200 nautical miles from the coastline , over which a state has special rights regarding fishing , shipping , and industrial activities like offshore oil drilling .
Five countries have exclusive economic zones in the Arctic Ocean : Canada , the United States , Russia , Norway and Denmark ( Greenland ) .
DeRepentigny and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ originating from Russia that then melts in another exclusive economic zone doubles by mid-century .
However , the Central Arctic in the middle of the Arctic Ocean is a place where no country has exclusive economic rights .
Due to the Arctic Ocean being more ice free in summers , this will become an attractive shipping route – especially because ships don ’ t need to get permission from another country to travel through it .
“ That has several implications , ” said DeRepentigny .
“ Who ’ s responsible for contaminants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arctic or get exported out of the Central Arctic into different countries ?
It ’ s no longer just a national question.
” Additional co-authors of this research include Alexandra Jahn at the University of Colorado Boulder , L. Bruno Tremblay at McGill University and Columbia University , Robert Newton at Columbia University , and Stephanie Pfirman at Arizona State University .

University of Colorado at Boulder
The movement of sea ice between Arctic countries is expected to significantly increase this century, raising the risk of more widely transporting pollutants like microplastics and oil, according to new research from CU Boulder.
The study in the American Geophysical Union journal Earth’s Future predicts that by mid-century, the average time it takes for sea ice to travel from one region to another will decrease by more than half, and the amount of sea ice exchanged between Arctic countries such as Russia, Norway, Canada and the United States will more than triple.
Increased interest in off-shore Arctic development, as well as shipping through the Central Arctic Ocean, may increase the amount of pollutants present in Arctic waters. And contaminants in frozen ice can travel much farther than those in open water moved by ocean currents.
“This means there is an increased potential for sea ice to quickly transport all kinds of materials with it, from algae to oil,” said Patricia DeRepentigny, doctoral candidate in the Department for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. “That’s important to consider when putting together international laws to regulate what happens in the Arctic.”
Historically, floating masses of Arctic sea ice could survive for up to 10 years: building up layers, lasting through each summer and not moving very far during any given year. As the climate warms, however, that pattern has been changing.
While overall, the sea ice cover is thinning – and melting entirely across vast regions in the summer – the area of new ice formed during winter is actually increasing, particularly along the Russian coastline and soon in the Central Arctic Ocean. This thinner ice can move faster in the increasingly open waters of the Arctic, delivering the particles and pollutants it carries to waters of neighboring states.
“Ice moves faster, but as the climate warms, it doesn’t have as much time as before to travel before it melts,” said DeRepentigny. “Because of that, we really see that it’s the regions that are directly downstream of each country’s waters that are going to be most affected.”
Different emissions scenarios
In a previous study, DeRepentigny and her colleagues examined the movement of Arctic sea ice from the instrumental record starting in 1979, when the first continuous satellite observations began. That study was the first to document an increase in the amount of sea ice being transported from one region to another over the last four decades.
“That was really eye opening,” said DeRepentigny. “The follow-up question then was: How is this going to play out in the future? It opened a really big box of new questions.”
So the researchers used a global climate model, together with the Sea Ice Tracking Utility (SITU) – which DeRepentigny helped develop – to track sea ice from where it forms to where it ultimately melts during the 21st century.
The researchers considered two different emissions scenarios: the more extreme “business as usual” scenario, which predicts warming of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius by 2100, and a warming scenario limited to 2 degrees Celsius, inspired by the Paris Agreement. They then modeled how the sea ice will behave in both these scenarios at the middle and the end of the century.
In three of these four situations – including both mid-century predictions – the movement of sea ice between Arctic countries increased.
But in the high emissions scenario at the end of the century, they found countries could end up dealing more with their own ice and its contaminants, than ice from their neighbors. This is because with 4 degrees or more of warming in 2100, the majority of sea ice that freezes during winter will melt each spring in the same region where it was formed.
Russia and the Central Arctic
Russia’s exclusive economic zone and the Central Arctic Ocean are two places the researchers expect more ice to form, becoming major “exporters” of ice to other regions in the Arctic.
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is an area extending 200 nautical miles from the coastline, over which a state has special rights regarding fishing, shipping, and industrial activities like offshore oil drilling. Five countries have exclusive economic zones in the Arctic Ocean: Canada, the United States, Russia, Norway and Denmark (Greenland).
DeRepentigny and her colleagues found that the amount of ice originating from Russia that then melts in another exclusive economic zone doubles by mid-century.
However, the Central Arctic in the middle of the Arctic Ocean is a place where no country has exclusive economic rights. Due to the Arctic Ocean being more ice free in summers, this will become an attractive shipping route – especially because ships don’t need to get permission from another country to travel through it.
“That has several implications,” said DeRepentigny. “Who’s responsible for contaminants and materials that melt in the Central Arctic or get exported out of the Central Arctic into different countries? It’s no longer just a national question.”
###
Additional co-authors of this research include Alexandra Jahn at the University of Colorado Boulder, L. Bruno Tremblay at McGill University and Columbia University, Robert Newton at Columbia University, and Stephanie Pfirman at Arizona State University.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-19--Fear of (everybody else) flying

Fear of (everybody else) flying

Air travel worsens climate crisis – unless passengers are climate activists and wealthy elites Just over a year ago , newly elected U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey ( D-MA ) shocked the world by proposing a Green New Deal .
One of its more controversial provisions was a proposal to build high-speed rail at a scale that would make air travel unnecessary .
In 2013 , Elizabeth Rosenthal told New York Times readers that air travel is the “ most serious environmental sin ” for many Americans .
A single round-trip flight from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adds 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per passenger to the atmosphere , she claimed .
Air travel emissions are rising , because the volume of air travel is increasing much faster than gains in flight fuel efficiency .
The website Green Choices calls air travel “ one of the most greenhouse-gas-rich forms of transport in existence , ” and laments that the lack of fuel taxes on aviation fuel is a subsidy that makes air travel “ surprisingly ” ( and unacceptably ) cheap .
In addition to carbon dioxide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vapor that also contribute to the greenhouse effect .
In the view of allegedly Green Choices , aviation industry growth is incompatible with efforts to combat climate change .
The European Union brought aviation into its emission trading system in 2012 .
However , protests from China , the USA and other countries confined that program to intra-EU flights through 2024 .
Transport & Environment , which bills itself as “ Europe ’ s leading clean transport campaign group , ” claims the aviation sector has a climate impact that “ continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ no sign of abating.
” Over in the United Kingdom , which just left the European Union and supposedly left EU climate doctrines behind , decades-old plans to build a third runway at London ’ s busy Heathrow Airport ran into yet another roadblock , as the UK ’ s Court of Appeal ruled that the runway proposal was “ illegal ” because it did not take into consideration the government ’ s own climate change commitments .
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his environmentalist allies cheered the decision , which Heathrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ) promises to appeal to the country ’ s Supreme Court .
Khan has long condemned the third runway plans , calling them “ the wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain , ” and claiming its construction and the increased number of flights it would allow would be “ devastating for air quality across London.
” The much-needed runway would increase airport capacity from 85.5 million passengers a year to 130 million and increase annual total flights from 474,000 to 740,000 .
It would result in up to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Kingdom and create up to 180,000 new jobs nationwide – all at a cost estimated at under $ 20 billion .
Even if Heathrow ultimately wins the right to build its third runway , the delays brought about largely by Britain signing the Paris climate agreement will surely raise the price of construction , hugely inconvenience travelers , and postpone much needed revenues from landing fees and commerce .
The Confederation of British Industry in June 2018 had lauded the decision by then-Prime Minister Theresa May and her full cabinet to approve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Boris Johnson does not favor it .
CBI Deputy Director-General Josh Hardie has said , “ Our aviation capacity is set to run out as early as 2025 , so it ’ s crucial we get spades in the ground as soon as possible.
” Those who hope we can replace jet engines with “ clean ” energy will be sad to learn that , while there are solar airplanes , they are slow ( maximum speed 100 kilometers or 65 miles per hour ) , unable to carry passengers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide very narrow margins of error for pilots .
As Dan Reed explained in a 2019 Forbes op-ed , applying the Green New Deal just to air travel would devastate the U.S. economy , while addressing only the 3.5 % of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to air travel .
Severe cutbacks in air travel would eliminate many of the nation ’ s 700,000-plus airline jobs ( average 2016 salary $ 86,000 ) , and severely impact industry vendors , airports , cargo hauling companies , hotels , other travel-related companies , and all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including I would add flu and COVID test kits , cures and vaccinations for every corner of America and the world .
Such an action by the United States would also threaten U.S. dominance in aircraft manufacturing , advanced aviation and aerospace technology , as well as aircraft design and production , Reed noted .
Meanwhile , UN climate conferences involve thousands of activists , bureaucrats , politicians and reporters , who fly to distant places , stay at 5-star hotels and eat lavishly , while hectoring us average citizens about our travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rule humanity with an iron fist .
( Why do so many have to attend these gabfests , and why can ’ t they conduct these meetings via videoconference ? )
Meanwhile , Prince Charles and his entourage of family , servants and security staff tour the realm and planet by private jetliner , to warn us that climate change and lost biodiversity are “ the greatest threats ” humanity ever faced .
Former President Obama and his family and entourage still enjoy Hawaiian vacations .
Al Gore and Leo DiCaprio are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jets , SUVs and limousines to get to climate events , where they lecture us lesser mortals on what we must do to protect Planet Earth from catastrophic warming caused by ( other ) humans ( than themselves ) .
Ultra-billionaire Mike Bloomberg tries to justify his use of private jets and helicopters by explaining that they are essential if he is to continue his global quest to eliminate fossil fuels ( and fossil fuel jobs ) and end the supposed climate crisis .
None of them have any intention of ending their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should end our modest and occasional use of commercial travel .
They ’ re not afraid of flying .
They ’ re afraid of everyone else flying .
Or more accurately , they don ’ t think the rest of us deserve the opportunity , joy or necessity of flying for vacation , business or any other matter .
They are privileged .
We are not .
Instead of airplanes flying overhead through the atmosphere – and landing at airports near urban centers large and small – they want hundreds of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of track slicing through forests , grasslands , farmlands and backyards , put there largely through powers of eminent domain , however much locals might object .
( The trains would be electric , of course , powered by “ clean , green , ” intermittent , unreliable wind and solar power , and requiring vastly more mining , wind turbines , solar panels , batteries and child labor . )
The impacts on property rights and biodiversity would be significant .
Meanwhile , in 2018 China announced plans to build 216 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of airports in that country today , to meet “ the growing demands for air travel.
” China had 552 million air passengers in 2017 and wants to connect its far-flung cities and people more quickly and efficiently .
COVID-19 may have delayed those plans , but it will be fixed and will not “ derail ” the plans .
India has launched a truly ambitious plan to build 100 new airports by 2024 , to spur economic growth .
The plan will also double the domestic aircraft fleet and upgrade existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II .
Just four years ago , only 75 of India ’ s 450 runways were operational .
These are important issues .
But will air travel bans and a Green New Deal benefit people and planet ?
As my CFACT colleague Paul Driessen has pointed out ( here , here and here ) the GND would require mining on massive , unprecedented scales .
It would blanket hundreds of millions of acres of cropland , scenic areas and wildlife habitats with wind turbines and solar panels .
The impacts on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human rights would be monumental and catastrophic .
For the USA to shutter its airline industry is highly unlikely .
However , 67 Members of Congress cosponsored the Green New Deal plan , including Senator Bernie Sanders ( I-VT ) .
Sanders later introduced his own ( slightly scaled-down ) GND to transform America – away from modernity and prosperity and back to the pre-reliable-electricity “ good old days ” when living standards were a fraction of today ’ s .
Meanwhile , climate and extreme weather patterns will continue doing what they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the worst of all possible outcomes would be a cooler planet , with less atmospheric carbon dioxide , combined with organic and subsistence farming .
Biodiversity loss and starvation would be rampant .
Duggan Flanakin is Director of Policy Research at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow ( www.CFACT.org ) and author of many articles on energy , environmental and climate issues .

Air travel worsens climate crisis – unless passengers are climate activists and wealthy elites
Guest post by Duggan Flanakin
Just over a year ago, newly elected U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) shocked the world by proposing a Green New Deal. One of its more controversial provisions was a proposal to build high-speed rail at a scale that would make air travel unnecessary.
In 2013, Elizabeth Rosenthal told New York Times readers that air travel is the “most serious environmental sin” for many Americans. A single round-trip flight from New York to Europe or San Francisco adds 2 or 3 tons of carbon dioxide per passenger to the atmosphere, she claimed. Air travel emissions are rising, because the volume of air travel is increasing much faster than gains in flight fuel efficiency.
The website Green Choices calls air travel “one of the most greenhouse-gas-rich forms of transport in existence,” and laments that the lack of fuel taxes on aviation fuel is a subsidy that makes air travel “surprisingly” (and unacceptably) cheap. In addition to carbon dioxide, air travel generates nitrogen oxides and water vapor that also contribute to the greenhouse effect. In the view of allegedly Green Choices, aviation industry growth is incompatible with efforts to combat climate change.
The European Union brought aviation into its emission trading system in 2012. However, protests from China, the USA and other countries confined that program to intra-EU flights through 2024. Transport & Environment, which bills itself as “Europe’s leading clean transport campaign group,” claims the aviation sector has a climate impact that “continues to spiral out of control,” with “no sign of abating.”
Over in the United Kingdom, which just left the European Union and supposedly left EU climate doctrines behind, decades-old plans to build a third runway at London’s busy Heathrow Airport ran into yet another roadblock, as the UK’s Court of Appeal ruled that the runway proposal was “illegal” because it did not take into consideration the government’s own climate change commitments.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and his environmentalist allies cheered the decision, which Heathrow Airport Holdings (but not the British government) promises to appeal to the country’s Supreme Court. Khan has long condemned the third runway plans, calling them “the wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain,” and claiming its construction and the increased number of flights it would allow would be “devastating for air quality across London.”
The much-needed runway would increase airport capacity from 85.5 million passengers a year to 130 million and increase annual total flights from 474,000 to 740,000. It would result in up to $228 billion in economic growth across the United Kingdom and create up to 180,000 new jobs nationwide – all at a cost estimated at under $20 billion.
Even if Heathrow ultimately wins the right to build its third runway, the delays brought about largely by Britain signing the Paris climate agreement will surely raise the price of construction, hugely inconvenience travelers, and postpone much needed revenues from landing fees and commerce.
The Confederation of British Industry in June 2018 had lauded the decision by then-Prime Minister Theresa May and her full cabinet to approve the airport expansion. But current Prime Minister Boris Johnson does not favor it. CBI Deputy Director-General Josh Hardie has said, “Our aviation capacity is set to run out as early as 2025, so it’s crucial we get spades in the ground as soon as possible.”
Those who hope we can replace jet engines with “clean” energy will be sad to learn that, while there are solar airplanes, they are slow (maximum speed 100 kilometers or 65 miles per hour), unable to carry passengers, and dependent on good weather. They also provide very narrow margins of error for pilots.
As Dan Reed explained in a 2019 Forbes op-ed, applying the Green New Deal just to air travel would devastate the U.S. economy, while addressing only the 3.5% of greenhouse gas emissions attributable to air travel. Severe cutbacks in air travel would eliminate many of the nation’s 700,000-plus airline jobs (average 2016 salary $86,000), and severely impact industry vendors, airports, cargo hauling companies, hotels, other travel-related companies, and all who rely on goods and services – including I would add flu and COVID test kits, cures and vaccinations for every corner of America and the world.
Such an action by the United States would also threaten U.S. dominance in aircraft manufacturing, advanced aviation and aerospace technology, as well as aircraft design and production, Reed noted.
Meanwhile, UN climate conferences involve thousands of activists, bureaucrats, politicians and reporters, who fly to distant places, stay at 5-star hotels and eat lavishly, while hectoring us average citizens about our travel and emissions, and devising new agreements to rule humanity with an iron fist. (Why do so many have to attend these gabfests, and why can’t they conduct these meetings via videoconference?)
Meanwhile, Prince Charles and his entourage of family, servants and security staff tour the realm and planet by private jetliner, to warn us that climate change and lost biodiversity are “the greatest threats” humanity ever faced. Former President Obama and his family and entourage still enjoy Hawaiian vacations.
Al Gore and Leo DiCaprio are (in)famous for using private jets, SUVs and limousines to get to climate events, where they lecture us lesser mortals on what we must do to protect Planet Earth from catastrophic warming caused by (other) humans (than themselves). Ultra-billionaire Mike Bloomberg tries to justify his use of private jets and helicopters by explaining that they are essential if he is to continue his global quest to eliminate fossil fuels (and fossil fuel jobs) and end the supposed climate crisis.
None of them have any intention of ending their private travel extravagances. They just think we should end our modest and occasional use of commercial travel. They’re not afraid of flying. They’re afraid of everyone else flying. Or more accurately, they don’t think the rest of us deserve the opportunity, joy or necessity of flying for vacation, business or any other matter. They are privileged. We are not.
Instead of airplanes flying overhead through the atmosphere – and landing at airports near urban centers large and small – they want hundreds of new rail lines, with thousands of miles of track slicing through forests, grasslands, farmlands and backyards, put there largely through powers of eminent domain, however much locals might object. (The trains would be electric, of course, powered by “clean, green,” intermittent, unreliable wind and solar power, and requiring vastly more mining, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and child labor.) The impacts on property rights and biodiversity would be significant.
Meanwhile, in 2018 China announced plans to build 216 new airports by 2035, almost doubling the number of airports in that country today, to meet “the growing demands for air travel.” China had 552 million air passengers in 2017 and wants to connect its far-flung cities and people more quickly and efficiently. COVID-19 may have delayed those plans, but it will be fixed and will not “derail” the plans.
India has launched a truly ambitious plan to build 100 new airports by 2024, to spur economic growth. The plan will also double the domestic aircraft fleet and upgrade existing runways, many of which date to World War II. Just four years ago, only 75 of India’s 450 runways were operational.
These are important issues. But will air travel bans and a Green New Deal benefit people and planet?
As my CFACT colleague Paul Driessen has pointed out (here, here and here) the GND would require mining on massive, unprecedented scales. It would blanket hundreds of millions of acres of cropland, scenic areas and wildlife habitats with wind turbines and solar panels. The impacts on wildlife, biodiversity, living standards and human rights would be monumental and catastrophic.
For the USA to shutter its airline industry is highly unlikely. However, 67 Members of Congress cosponsored the Green New Deal plan, including Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Sanders later introduced his own (slightly scaled-down) GND to transform America – away from modernity and prosperity and back to the pre-reliable-electricity “good old days” when living standards were a fraction of today’s.
Meanwhile, climate and extreme weather patterns will continue doing what they always have: change. In fact, the worst of all possible outcomes would be a cooler planet, with less atmospheric carbon dioxide, combined with organic and subsistence farming. Biodiversity loss and starvation would be rampant.
Duggan Flanakin is Director of Policy Research at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of many articles on energy, environmental and climate issues.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-19--LA Times: California is Not Doing Enough about Climate Change

Can you think of a state which is more dedicated to climate action than California ?
Yet even California ’ s effort is not good enough for eco-extremists .
California is a climate leader .
But here ’ s why it needs to move even faster California is aiming to slash planet-warming emissions faster than ever over the next decade — and critics say state officials aren ’ t acting with nearly enough urgency .
The Golden State reached its 2020 climate change goal four years early , bringing economy-wide emissions back down to 1990 levels without most Californians noticing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s next target , a 40 % reduction in climate pollution by 2030 , will be a much bigger lift .
A recent report from the research firm Energy Innovation found that the state must cut emissions nearly twice as quickly over the coming decade as it did during the last one , and that current policies won ’ t get the job done .
The think tank Next 10 reached a similar conclusion , finding that the state is on track to meet its 2030 target three decades late .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utilities Commission is considering a proposal to cut power-sector emissions by just 25 % during the 2020s , a slower pace than during the previous decade .
Commission staff also studied a plan that would aim to cut climate pollution in half , before recommending the less aggressive target .
Climate advocates are alarmed , saying the regulatory agency is poised to let the transition to cleaner energy sources keep chugging along at an unacceptably slow pace .
Commission staff say their preferred plan will already be plenty difficult , requiring clean energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented speed and scale .

Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Can you think of a state which is more dedicated to climate action than California? Yet even California’s effort is not good enough for eco-extremists.
California is a climate leader. But here’s why it needs to move even faster
By SAMMY ROTHSTAFF WRITER MARCH 18, 202010:51 AM
California is aiming to slash planet-warming emissions faster than ever over the next decade — and critics say state officials aren’t acting with nearly enough urgency.
The Golden State reached its 2020 climate change goal four years early, bringing economy-wide emissions back down to 1990 levels without most Californians noticing that anything was different. But the state’s next target, a 40% reduction in climate pollution by 2030, will be a much bigger lift.
A recent report from the research firm Energy Innovation found that the state must cut emissions nearly twice as quickly over the coming decade as it did during the last one, and that current policies won’t get the job done. The think tank Next 10 reached a similar conclusion, finding that the state is on track to meet its 2030 target three decades late.
Despite those findings, the California Public Utilities Commission is considering a proposal to cut power-sector emissions by just 25% during the 2020s, a slower pace than during the previous decade. Commission staff also studied a plan that would aim to cut climate pollution in half, before recommending the less aggressive target.
Climate advocates are alarmed, saying the regulatory agency is poised to let the transition to cleaner energy sources keep chugging along at an unacceptably slow pace. Commission staff say their preferred plan will already be plenty difficult, requiring clean energy infrastructure to replace fossil fuels at an unprecedented speed and scale.
…


wattsupwiththat--2020-03-20--Impact of a second Dust Bowl would be felt worldwide

Catastrophic shock to US agriculture would deplete reserves , including those of other countries The American Dust Bowl of the 1930s – captured by the novels of John Steinbeck – was an environmental and socio-economic disaster that worsened the Great Depression .
The Dust Bowl was an extreme event .
But due to climate change , massive crop failures are more likely to happen again in the future .
New research in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems aimed to answer what these impacts may look like .
The Dust Bowl was centered on the Great Plains of the USA , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ displaced native , moisture-retaining grasses .
An atypical La Niña then brought intense droughts , high temperatures , and strong winds which blew away the topsoil in the form of large-scale dust storms .
Apart from its direct impact on people ( around 7,000 deaths and two million homeless ) , the Dust Bowl had a catastrophic effect on crops where wheat and maize production in the USA plummeted by 36 % and 48 % during the 1930s .
Currently , the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that in another three to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have further warmed by 1.5-2 °C .
This compounds issues that already exist today , where global food security is under pressure from the increased frequency of extreme weather events .
“ We wanted to forecast how a multi-year production decline in a major exporting country , similar to that which occurred during the Dust Bowl , would affect modern food supplies globally via international trade , ” says first author Dr Alison Heslin , a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Climate Systems Research of Columbia University and NASA ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In today ’ s system of global food trade , disruptions are not bound by borders .
Shocks to production are expected to affect trade partners who depend on imports for their domestic food supply.
” To assess the possible impacts of a second dust bowl , the authors first developed two alternative computer simulations of the worldwide trade in wheat .
They then delivered a shock to these model systems in the form of a four-year-long Dust Bowl-like anomaly , restricted to the USA .
Under one simulation , countries first use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock between imports and exports , propagating it in one direction by increasing imports and in another by decreasing exports .
Under the more complicated second model , the USA first reduces only its exports , propagating the shock to all receiving trade partners , after which all countries with a shortage respond by increasing their imports .
Their results predict a severity similar to that of the original event , estimated from historical data .
The results show that the USA would fully exhaust 94 % of its reserves over the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shock .
They also show that without exception , all countries to which the USA exports wheat would decrease their reserves , even though they didn ’ t themselves suffer crop failure .
“ We focused on a subset of the possible impacts , specifically changes in trade , drawing down strategic reserves and decreases in consumption , ” says co-author Dr Jessica Gephart , Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Science of the American University in Washington DC .
“ We found that global wheat trade contracts and shifts toward other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world decline , in many cases to zero .
This suggests that the impacts would not only raise prices for US consumers but would also raise prices far beyond the US borders , ” says Gephart .
Key impacts of another four-year dust bowl could include an initial 31 % loss of global wheat stocks , and by the end of the four years , between 36-52 countries could have used up over 75 % of their starting reserves .
The 10 countries with the highest initial reserves ( China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Russia , Morocco , Australia , Egypt , Algeria ) would see their reserves decline by 15-22 % relative to the starting points .
However , a silver lining is that due to the high initial starting point of global reserves , most supply shocks , even in countries without reserves , could be addressed through trade flow adjustments without reducing consumption .
“ Our results remind us that mitigating climate risks requires accounting for not only the direct effects of climate change , like local extreme weather events , but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interconnected system of global trade.
” “ In the context of food security , we show that accessing food reserves can , for a time , buffer populations from trade-induced supply shortages but as reserves deplete , people are at risk of food shortages , ” says Heslin .
Please link to the original research article in your reporting : https : //www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00026/full

Catastrophic shock to US agriculture would deplete reserves, including those of other countries
Frontiers
The American Dust Bowl of the 1930s – captured by the novels of John Steinbeck – was an environmental and socio-economic disaster that worsened the Great Depression.
The Dust Bowl was an extreme event. But due to climate change, massive crop failures are more likely to happen again in the future. New research in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems aimed to answer what these impacts may look like.
The Dust Bowl was centered on the Great Plains of the USA, where decades of unsustainable deep plowing had displaced native, moisture-retaining grasses. An atypical La Niña then brought intense droughts, high temperatures, and strong winds which blew away the topsoil in the form of large-scale dust storms.
Apart from its direct impact on people (around 7,000 deaths and two million homeless), the Dust Bowl had a catastrophic effect on crops where wheat and maize production in the USA plummeted by 36% and 48% during the 1930s.
Currently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that in another three to four decades that most of the USA will have further warmed by 1.5-2 °C. This compounds issues that already exist today, where global food security is under pressure from the increased frequency of extreme weather events.
“We wanted to forecast how a multi-year production decline in a major exporting country, similar to that which occurred during the Dust Bowl, would affect modern food supplies globally via international trade,” says first author Dr Alison Heslin, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Climate Systems Research of Columbia University and NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
“In today’s system of global food trade, disruptions are not bound by borders. Shocks to production are expected to affect trade partners who depend on imports for their domestic food supply.”
To assess the possible impacts of a second dust bowl, the authors first developed two alternative computer simulations of the worldwide trade in wheat. They then delivered a shock to these model systems in the form of a four-year-long Dust Bowl-like anomaly, restricted to the USA.
Under one simulation, countries first use their reserves and then divide the absorbed shock between imports and exports, propagating it in one direction by increasing imports and in another by decreasing exports.
Under the more complicated second model, the USA first reduces only its exports, propagating the shock to all receiving trade partners, after which all countries with a shortage respond by increasing their imports.
Their results predict a severity similar to that of the original event, estimated from historical data. The results show that the USA would fully exhaust 94% of its reserves over the first four years of a Dust Bowl-liked agricultural shock.
They also show that without exception, all countries to which the USA exports wheat would decrease their reserves, even though they didn’t themselves suffer crop failure.
“We focused on a subset of the possible impacts, specifically changes in trade, drawing down strategic reserves and decreases in consumption,” says co-author Dr Jessica Gephart, Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Science of the American University in Washington DC.
“We found that global wheat trade contracts and shifts toward other wheat exporters, and that wheat reserves around the world decline, in many cases to zero. This suggests that the impacts would not only raise prices for US consumers but would also raise prices far beyond the US borders,” says Gephart.
Key impacts of another four-year dust bowl could include an initial 31% loss of global wheat stocks, and by the end of the four years, between 36-52 countries could have used up over 75% of their starting reserves. The 10 countries with the highest initial reserves (China, USA, India, Iran, Canada, Russia, Morocco, Australia, Egypt, Algeria) would see their reserves decline by 15-22 % relative to the starting points.
However, a silver lining is that due to the high initial starting point of global reserves, most supply shocks, even in countries without reserves, could be addressed through trade flow adjustments without reducing consumption.
“Our results remind us that mitigating climate risks requires accounting for not only the direct effects of climate change, like local extreme weather events, but also the climate impacts which travel through our interconnected system of global trade.”
“In the context of food security, we show that accessing food reserves can, for a time, buffer populations from trade-induced supply shortages but as reserves deplete, people are at risk of food shortages,” says Heslin.
###
Notes to Editors
Please link to the original research article in your reporting: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00026/full
From EurekAlert!
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-20--The Conversation: “Coronavirus response proves the world can act on climate change”

According to The Conversation , we listen to disease experts but ignore climate experts , even though they are both groups of experts , because we have an instinctive fear of disease .
Coronavirus response proves the world can act on climate change The alarms for both COVID-19 and climate change were sounded by experts , well in advance of visible crises .
It is easy to forget , but at the time of this writing , the total deaths from COVID-19 are less than 9,000 — it is the terrifying computer model predictions of much larger numbers that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action , despite the disruption this is causing to everyday life .
Yet computer models of climate change also predict a steady march of increasing deaths , surpassing 250,000 people per year within two decades from now .
As scientists who have studied climate change and the psychology of decision-making , we find ourselves asking : Why do the government responses to COVID-19 and climate change — which both require making difficult decisions to avert future disasters — differ so dramatically ?
We suggest four important reasons .
First , COVID-19 is deadly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an instinctive , personal level .
People react strongly to mortal threats , and although the virus appears to have much lower mortality for otherwise healthy people under 60 , those statistics do not quell universal personal safety fears .

Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to The Conversation, we listen to disease experts but ignore climate experts, even though they are both groups of experts, because we have an instinctive fear of disease.
Coronavirus response proves the world can act on climate change
Eric Galbraith Professor of Earth System Science, McGill University
Ross Otto Assistant Professor of Psychology, McGill University
…
The alarms for both COVID-19 and climate change were sounded by experts, well in advance of visible crises. It is easy to forget, but at the time of this writing, the total deaths from COVID-19 are less than 9,000 — it is the terrifying computer model predictions of much larger numbers that have alerted governments to the need for swift action, despite the disruption this is causing to everyday life.
Yet computer models of climate change also predict a steady march of increasing deaths, surpassing 250,000 people per year within two decades from now.
As scientists who have studied climate change and the psychology of decision-making, we find ourselves asking: Why do the government responses to COVID-19 and climate change — which both require making difficult decisions to avert future disasters — differ so dramatically? We suggest four important reasons.
Instinctive fear
First, COVID-19 is deadly in a way that is frightening on an instinctive, personal level. People react strongly to mortal threats, and although the virus appears to have much lower mortality for otherwise healthy people under 60, those statistics do not quell universal personal safety fears.
…


wattsupwiththat--2020-03-20--Nitrogen Dioxide Ramping Up Again Over China

Recent data have shown a decline of air pollution over northern Italy coinciding with its nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
This new map shows the variation of nitrogen dioxide emissions over China from December to March – thanks to the Tropomi instrument on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite .
As news of the coronavirus broke out in the Hubei province , China , in late December 2019 , stricter measures were put in place .
As a result , by late January , factories were closed and streets were cleared as Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spread of the illness .
This led to the dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions – those released by power plants , industrial facilities and vehicles – in all major Chinese cities between late-January and February .
The drop in emissions also coincided with Lunar New Year celebrations , which usually sees a similar drop in emissions each year .
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service ( CAMS ) observed a decrease of fine particulate matter – one of the most important air pollutants – in February 2020 compared to the previous three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed computer models of the atmosphere , their studies indicated a reduction of around 20-30 % in surface particulate matter over large parts of China .
As the coronavirus epidemic eases in China , many provinces have downgraded their emergency response levels .
Schools , factories and other public spaces are starting to re-open and workers are gradually returning to their jobs .
This animation , using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite , shows the nitrogen dioxide emissions from 20 December 2019 until 16 March 2020 – using a 10-day moving average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is visible , coinciding with the nationwide quarantine , and from the beginning of March , the nitrogen dioxide levels have begun to increase .
Josef Aschbacher , ESA ’ s Director of Earth Observation Programmes , says , “ Satellites offer a unique vantage point to monitor the health of our planet .
Sentinel-5P is one of seven Copernicus satellites in orbit today .
It currently provides the most accurate measurements of nitrogen dioxide and other trace gases from space .
“ As nitrogen dioxide is primarily produced by traffic and factories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ industrial activity worldwide .
What is clearly visible is a significant reduction of nitrogen dioxide levels over China , caused by reduced activity due to COVID-19 restrictions , but also the Chinese New Year in January.
” He continues , “ The Copernicus programme is a perfect example of how space serves all European citizens by combining the political strength of the EU with the technical excellence of ESA.
” Claus Zehner , ESA ’ s Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager , comments , “ We can certainly attribute a part of the nitrogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus .
We currently see around a 40 % reduction over Chinese cities , however these are just rough estimates , as weather also has an impact on emissions .
“ We are conducting a detailed scientific analysis which will soon provide more insights and quantified results in the following weeks and months.
” The Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor mission , also known as Sentinel-5P , is dedicated to monitoring air pollution by measuring a multitude of trace gases as well as aerosols – all of which affect the air we breathe .

From United space in Europe
ESA / Applications / Observing the Earth / Copernicus / Sentinel-5P
Recent data have shown a decline of air pollution over northern Italy coinciding with its nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This new map shows the variation of nitrogen dioxide emissions over China from December to March – thanks to the Tropomi instrument on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite.
As news of the coronavirus broke out in the Hubei province, China, in late December 2019, stricter measures were put in place. As a result, by late January, factories were closed and streets were cleared as Chinese authorities had ceased daily activities to stop the spread of the illness.
This led to the dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions – those released by power plants, industrial facilities and vehicles – in all major Chinese cities between late-January and February. The drop in emissions also coincided with Lunar New Year celebrations, which usually sees a similar drop in emissions each year.
The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) observed a decrease of fine particulate matter – one of the most important air pollutants – in February 2020 compared to the previous three years. By combining satellite observations with detailed computer models of the atmosphere, their studies indicated a reduction of around 20-30% in surface particulate matter over large parts of China.
Nitrogen dioxide emissions over China
Access the video
As the coronavirus epidemic eases in China, many provinces have downgraded their emergency response levels. Schools, factories and other public spaces are starting to re-open and workers are gradually returning to their jobs.
This animation, using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, shows the nitrogen dioxide emissions from 20 December 2019 until 16 March 2020 – using a 10-day moving average. The drop in emissions in late-January is visible, coinciding with the nationwide quarantine, and from the beginning of March, the nitrogen dioxide levels have begun to increase.
Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes, says, “Satellites offer a unique vantage point to monitor the health of our planet. Sentinel-5P is one of seven Copernicus satellites in orbit today. It currently provides the most accurate measurements of nitrogen dioxide and other trace gases from space.
“As nitrogen dioxide is primarily produced by traffic and factories, it is a first-level indicator of industrial activity worldwide. What is clearly visible is a significant reduction of nitrogen dioxide levels over China, caused by reduced activity due to COVID-19 restrictions, but also the Chinese New Year in January.”
He continues, “The Copernicus programme is a perfect example of how space serves all European citizens by combining the political strength of the EU with the technical excellence of ESA.”
Bringing air pollution into focus
Claus Zehner, ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, comments, “We can certainly attribute a part of the nitrogen dioxide emission reduction to the impact of the coronavirus. We currently see around a 40% reduction over Chinese cities, however these are just rough estimates, as weather also has an impact on emissions.
“We are conducting a detailed scientific analysis which will soon provide more insights and quantified results in the following weeks and months.”
The Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor mission, also known as Sentinel-5P, is dedicated to monitoring air pollution by measuring a multitude of trace gases as well as aerosols – all of which affect the air we breathe.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-20--Enviros Find What They Say Is The Silver Lining In The Coronavirus Outbreak

Environmentalists and activists say they ’ ve found a way to better sell climate change to a skeptical American public : paint global warming as a pandemic on par with the likes of coronavirus .
Environmentalists are pointing to drastic dips in carbon emissions in China and Europe during the coronavirus scourge to craft a new climate message .
They also suggest that there are some positive lessons to be learned from the virus , which has killed more than 8,000 people globally .
“ If we can think about how to prepare for climate change like a pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all of this , ” Christopher Jones , an environmental researcher at the University of California , Berkeley , told NBC News in a report published Wednesday .
He added : “ We can help prevent crises in the future if we are prepared .
I think there are some big-picture lessons here that could be very useful.
” ( RELATED : Environmental Activists Are Blocking The Clean-Up Of A Polluted Mining Site In Idaho ) NBC News ’ s report cited a March 13 Washington Post report that analyzed data from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s satellites that seemed to suggest that nitrogen dioxide , or NO2 , fell dramatically over Northern Italy , a portion of Europe that has been the most negatively impacted .
More than 1,800 people who were exposed to the virus have died in Italy over the last several weeks as the country has seen nearly 25,000 cases overall .
Nearly 430 people died in the country in one day after contracting coronavirus , which originated in Wuhan , China in November 2019 .
“ As we move to restart these economies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think about what we value , ” Jacqueline Klopp , co-director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at Columbia University in New York City , told NBC .
“ Do we want to go back to the status quo , ” she rhetorically asked before adding : “ or do we want to tackle these big structural problems and restructure our economy and reduce emissions and pollution ?
” One environmentalist journalist pointed out that China ’ s draconian crackdown is creating the most benefits .
“ Every cloud has a silver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environmental journalist and commentator , said during a Thursday episode of NewsTalk .
The air quality improved “ dramatically ” over China during the past few months thanks in part to Beijing ’ s move to idle industries , he added .
The reasons why the public is handling the pandemic differently than , say , climate change is because one is happening over decades while the other is an immediate concern , according to Craig Altemose , the executive director of Better Future Project , a group pushing climate change policy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in stark contrast to our slow , half-hearted response to the climate crisis , ” Altemose wrote Wednesday in an editorial for the Boston Globe .
The reasons are obvious , he added : “ COVID-19 is a crisis playing out over the course of days rather than decades .
”

From The Daily Caller
Chris White Tech Reporter
March 19, 2020 12:50 PM ET
Environmentalists and activists say they’ve found a way to better sell climate change to a skeptical American public: paint global warming as a pandemic on par with the likes of coronavirus.
Environmentalists are pointing to drastic dips in carbon emissions in China and Europe during the coronavirus scourge to craft a new climate message. They also suggest that there are some positive lessons to be learned from the virus, which has killed more than 8,000 people globally.
“If we can think about how to prepare for climate change like a pandemic, maybe there will be a positive outcome to all of this,” Christopher Jones, an environmental researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, told NBC News in a report published Wednesday.
He added: “We can help prevent crises in the future if we are prepared. I think there are some big-picture lessons here that could be very useful.” (RELATED: Environmental Activists Are Blocking The Clean-Up Of A Polluted Mining Site In Idaho)
NBC News’s report cited a March 13 Washington Post report that analyzed data from one of the European Space Agency’s satellites that seemed to suggest that nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, fell dramatically over Northern Italy, a portion of Europe that has been the most negatively impacted.
More than 1,800 people who were exposed to the virus have died in Italy over the last several weeks as the country has seen nearly 25,000 cases overall. Nearly 430 people died in the country in one day after contracting coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China in November 2019.
Other academics are offering similar critiques.
“As we move to restart these economies, we need to use this moment to think about what we value,” Jacqueline Klopp, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at Columbia University in New York City, told NBC.
“Do we want to go back to the status quo,” she rhetorically asked before adding: “or do we want to tackle these big structural problems and restructure our economy and reduce emissions and pollution?”
One environmentalist journalist pointed out that China’s draconian crackdown is creating the most benefits.
“Every cloud has a silver lining,” John Gibbons, an environmental journalist and commentator, said during a Thursday episode of NewsTalk.
The air quality improved “dramatically” over China during the past few months thanks in part to Beijing’s move to idle industries, he added.
The reasons why the public is handling the pandemic differently than, say, climate change is because one is happening over decades while the other is an immediate concern, according to Craig Altemose, the executive director of Better Future Project, a group pushing climate change policy.
“The international response to COVID-19 stands in stark contrast to our slow, half-hearted response to the climate crisis,” Altemose wrote Wednesday in an editorial for the Boston Globe. The reasons are obvious, he added: “COVID-19 is a crisis playing out over the course of days rather than decades.”
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-20--Polar bears prowling Newfoundland come on top of coronavirus fears

On Tuesday 17 March 2020 , several polar bears were reported in and around the community of St. Anthony on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland , adding another threat on top of coronavirus concerns in the province .
The photo below is from a 2018 Newfoundland sighting from the same region : none are available for the current report .
There have been no reports of trouble but locals will have to stay vigilant to remain safe , which since 2008 has been a common concern from late winter to early spring .
In 2012 in this area , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and attacked livestock ; another bear was shot the next week in the same area .
And in 2016 and 2017 , a bear had to be shot to protect residents .
Bears at this time of year are in hunting mode , which is why my polar bear attack thriller novel , EATEN , is set in March .
There is a bit less ice than average off Newfoundland at the moment but plenty of ice thick enough to support polar bears ( see chart below ) .
The bears are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population of harp seals that are currently giving birth in the area .
Young seals will be available prey for polar bears for the next 8 weeks or so .
St. Anthony on the northern peninsula is marked on the map : See ice in Canada and the world at this date below .

From Polar Bear Science
Posted on March 19, 2020 |
On Tuesday 17 March 2020, several polar bears were reported in and around the community of St. Anthony on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland, adding another threat on top of coronavirus concerns in the province. The photo below is from a 2018 Newfoundland sighting from the same region: none are available for the current report.
There have been no reports of trouble but locals will have to stay vigilant to remain safe, which since 2008 has been a common concern from late winter to early spring. In 2012 in this area, a bear was shot after it destroyed homes and attacked livestock; another bear was shot the next week in the same area. And in 2016 and 2017, a bear had to be shot to protect residents. Bears at this time of year are in hunting mode, which is why my polar bear attack thriller novel, EATEN, is set in March.
Current sea ice conditions below.
There is a bit less ice than average off Newfoundland at the moment but plenty of ice thick enough to support polar bears (see chart below). The bears are in the area to feed off the abundant population of harp seals that are currently giving birth in the area. Young seals will be available prey for polar bears for the next 8 weeks or so. St. Anthony on the northern peninsula is marked on the map:
See ice in Canada and the world at this date below.
NSIDC Masie chart:
NSIDC chart:
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wattsupwiththat--2020-03-21--Solar energy tracker powers down after 17 years

After nearly two decades , the Sun has set for NASA ’ s SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment ( SORCE ) , a mission that continued and advanced the agency ’ s 40-year record of measuring solar irradiance and studying its influence on Earth ’ s climate .
The SORCE team turned off the spacecraft on February 25 , 2020 , concluding 17 years of measuring the amount , spectrum and fluctuations of solar energy entering Earth ’ s atmosphere — vital information for understanding climate and the planet ’ s energy balance .
The mission ’ s legacy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irradiance Sensor ( TSIS-1 ) , launched to the International Space Station in December 2017 , and TSIS-2 , which will launch aboard its own spacecraft in 2023 .
The Sun is Earth ’ s primary power source .
Energy from the Sun , called solar irradiance , drives Earth ’ s climate , temperature , weather , atmospheric chemistry , ocean cycles , energy balance and more .
Scientists need accurate measurements of solar power to model these processes , and the technological advances in SORCE ’ s instruments allowed more accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ These measurements are important for two reasons , ” said Dong Wu , project scientist for SORCE and TSIS-1 at NASA ’ s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland .
“ Climate scientists need to know how much the Sun varies , so they know how much change in the Earth ’ s climate is due to solar variation .
Secondly , we ’ ve debated for years , is the Sun getting brighter or dimmer over hundreds of years ?
We live only a short period , but an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you know how the Sun is varying and can extend that knowledge into the future , you can then put the anticipated future solar input into climate models together with other information , like trace gas concentrations , to estimate what our future climate will be.
” SORCE ’ s four instruments measured solar irradiance in two complementary ways : Total and spectral .
Total solar irradiance , or TSI , is the total amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth ’ s outer atmosphere in a given time .
Sunspots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s surface ) and faculae ( brightened areas ) create tiny TSI variations that show up as measurable changes in Earth ’ s climate and systems .
From space , SORCE and other solar irradiance missions measure TSI without interference from Earth ’ s atmosphere .
SORCE ’ s TSI values were slightly but significantly lower than those measured by previous missions .
This was not an error — its Total Irradiance Monitor was ten times more accurate than previous instruments .
This improved solar irradiance inputs into the Earth climate and weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The big surprise with TSI was that the amount of irradiance it measured was 4.6 watts per square meter less than what was expected , ” said Tom Woods , SORCE ’ s principal investigator and senior research associate at the University of Colorado ’ s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics ( LASP ) in Boulder , Colorado .
“ That started a whole scientific discussion and the development of a new calibration laboratory for TSI instruments .
It turned out that the TIM was correct , and all the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s not often in climate studies that you make a quantum leap in measurement capability , but the tenfold improvement in accuracy by the SORCE / TIM was exactly that , ” said Greg Kopp , TIM instrument scientist for SORCE and TSIS at LASP .
SORCE ’ s other measurements focused on spectrally-resolved solar irradiance ( SSI ) : The variation of solar irradiance with wavelength across the solar spectrum , covering the major wavelength regions important to Earth ’ s climate and atmospheric composition .
Besides the familiar rainbow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy also contains shorter ultraviolet and longer infrared wavelengths , both of which play important roles in affecting Earth ’ s atmosphere .
Earth ’ s atmospheric layers and surface absorb different wavelengths of energy — for example , atmospheric ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation , while atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide absorb longer-wavelength infrared radiation , which keeps the surface warm .
SORCE was the first satellite mission to record a broad spectrum of SSI for a long period , tracking wavelengths from 1 to 2400 nanometers across its three SSI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ozone chemistry and ultraviolet radiation are very important , and visible light is important for climate modeling , ” Wu said .
“ We need to know the solar variability at different wavelengths and compare these measurements with our models.
” SORCE observed the Sun across two solar minima ( periods of low sunspot activity ) , providing valuable information about variability over a relatively short 11-year period .
But a longer record is needed to improve long-term predictions , Wu said .
SORCE was originally designed to collect data for just five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required creative and resourceful engineering , said Eric Moyer , SORCE ’ s mission director at Goddard .
SORCE ’ s battery began to degrade in its eighth year of operations , no longer providing enough power to support consistent data collection .
Unfortunately , the NASA instrument designed to take up its TSI measurements , Glory , was lost shortly after its 2011 launch , and the next instrument , the NOAA / U.S. Air Force Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment ( TCTE ) , would not launch until 2013 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ongoing solar irradiance record could be interrupted .
Because the Sun changes very slowly — its sunspots and faculae follow an 11-year cycle , and some changes span decades or even centuries — a long , continuous record is essential for understanding how the Sun behaves .
The engineering team switched to daytime-only solar data collection , powering down the instruments and part of the spacecraft during the night part of the SORCE orbit .
This plan effectively allowed the satellite to run with no functioning battery , Woods said — a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and science teams at our partner organizations developed and implemented a completely new way to operate this mission when it appeared it was over because of battery capacity loss , ” said Moyer .
LASP and Northrup Grumman Space Systems led the development of new operational software in order to continue the SORCE mission .
“ The small , highly dedicated team persevered and excelled when encountering operational challenges .
I am very proud of their excellent accomplishment and honored to have had the opportunity to participate in managing the SORCE mission.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sun ends , NASA ’ s solar irradiance record continues with TSIS-1 .
The mission ’ s two instruments measure TSI and SSI with even more advanced instruments that build on SORCE ’ s legacy , said Wu .
They have already enabled advances like establishing a new reference for the “ quiet ” Sun when there were no sunspots in 2019 , and for comparing this to SORCE observations of the previous solar cycle minimum in 2008 .
TSIS-2 is scheduled to launch in 2023 with identical instruments to TSIS-1 .
Its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give it more flexibility than TSIS-1 ’ s data collection aboard the ISS .
“ We are looking forward to continuing the groundbreaking science ushered in by SORCE , and to maintaining the solar irradiance data record through this decade and beyond with TSIS-1 and 2 , ” said LASP ’ s Peter Pilewskie , principal investigator for the TSIS missions .
“ SORCE set the standard for measurement accuracy and spectral coverage , two attributes of the mission that were key to gaining insight into the Sun ’ s role in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvements that should further enhance Sun-climate studies.
” “ Solar irradiance measurements are very challenging , and the SORCE team proposed a different way , a new technology , to measure them , ” said Wu .
“ Using advanced technology to advance our science capability , SORCE is a very good example of NASA ’ s spirit.
” For more information on SORCE , visit : http : //lasp.colorado.edu/home/sorce/ .

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
After nearly two decades, the Sun has set for NASA’s SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE), a mission that continued and advanced the agency’s 40-year record of measuring solar irradiance and studying its influence on Earth’s climate.
The SORCE team turned off the spacecraft on February 25, 2020, concluding 17 years of measuring the amount, spectrum and fluctuations of solar energy entering Earth’s atmosphere — vital information for understanding climate and the planet’s energy balance. The mission’s legacy is continued by the Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1), launched to the International Space Station in December 2017, and TSIS-2, which will launch aboard its own spacecraft in 2023.
Monitoring Earth’s “Battery”
The Sun is Earth’s primary power source. Energy from the Sun, called solar irradiance, drives Earth’s climate, temperature, weather, atmospheric chemistry, ocean cycles, energy balance and more. Scientists need accurate measurements of solar power to model these processes, and the technological advances in SORCE’s instruments allowed more accurate solar irradiance measurements than previous missions.
“These measurements are important for two reasons,” said Dong Wu, project scientist for SORCE and TSIS-1 at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “Climate scientists need to know how much the Sun varies, so they know how much change in the Earth’s climate is due to solar variation. Secondly, we’ve debated for years, is the Sun getting brighter or dimmer over hundreds of years? We live only a short period, but an accurate trend will become very important. If you know how the Sun is varying and can extend that knowledge into the future, you can then put the anticipated future solar input into climate models together with other information, like trace gas concentrations, to estimate what our future climate will be.”
SORCE’s four instruments measured solar irradiance in two complementary ways: Total and spectral.
Total solar irradiance, or TSI, is the total amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s outer atmosphere in a given time. Sunspots (darkened areas on the Sun’s surface) and faculae (brightened areas) create tiny TSI variations that show up as measurable changes in Earth’s climate and systems. From space, SORCE and other solar irradiance missions measure TSI without interference from Earth’s atmosphere.
SORCE’s TSI values were slightly but significantly lower than those measured by previous missions. This was not an error — its Total Irradiance Monitor was ten times more accurate than previous instruments. This improved solar irradiance inputs into the Earth climate and weather models from what was previously available.
“The big surprise with TSI was that the amount of irradiance it measured was 4.6 watts per square meter less than what was expected,” said Tom Woods, SORCE’s principal investigator and senior research associate at the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) in Boulder, Colorado. “That started a whole scientific discussion and the development of a new calibration laboratory for TSI instruments. It turned out that the TIM was correct, and all the past irradiance measurements were erroneously high.”
“It’s not often in climate studies that you make a quantum leap in measurement capability, but the tenfold improvement in accuracy by the SORCE / TIM was exactly that,” said Greg Kopp, TIM instrument scientist for SORCE and TSIS at LASP.
SORCE’s other measurements focused on spectrally-resolved solar irradiance (SSI): The variation of solar irradiance with wavelength across the solar spectrum, covering the major wavelength regions important to Earth’s climate and atmospheric composition.
Besides the familiar rainbow of colors in visible light, solar energy also contains shorter ultraviolet and longer infrared wavelengths, both of which play important roles in affecting Earth’s atmosphere. Earth’s atmospheric layers and surface absorb different wavelengths of energy — for example, atmospheric ozone absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation, while atmospheric water vapor and carbon dioxide absorb longer-wavelength infrared radiation, which keeps the surface warm. SORCE was the first satellite mission to record a broad spectrum of SSI for a long period, tracking wavelengths from 1 to 2400 nanometers across its three SSI instruments.
“For public health, ozone chemistry and ultraviolet radiation are very important, and visible light is important for climate modeling,” Wu said. “We need to know the solar variability at different wavelengths and compare these measurements with our models.”
SORCE observed the Sun across two solar minima (periods of low sunspot activity), providing valuable information about variability over a relatively short 11-year period. But a longer record is needed to improve long-term predictions, Wu said.
Buying Time for an Aging Mission
SORCE was originally designed to collect data for just five years. Extending its lifespan to 17 required creative and resourceful engineering, said Eric Moyer, SORCE’s mission director at Goddard.
SORCE’s battery began to degrade in its eighth year of operations, no longer providing enough power to support consistent data collection. Unfortunately, the NASA instrument designed to take up its TSI measurements, Glory, was lost shortly after its 2011 launch, and the next instrument, the NOAA / U.S. Air Force Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE), would not launch until 2013. If SORCE could no longer operate, the ongoing solar irradiance record could be interrupted. Because the Sun changes very slowly — its sunspots and faculae follow an 11-year cycle, and some changes span decades or even centuries — a long, continuous record is essential for understanding how the Sun behaves.
The engineering team switched to daytime-only solar data collection, powering down the instruments and part of the spacecraft during the night part of the SORCE orbit. This plan effectively allowed the satellite to run with no functioning battery, Woods said — a groundbreaking engineering achievement.
“The operation and science teams at our partner organizations developed and implemented a completely new way to operate this mission when it appeared it was over because of battery capacity loss,” said Moyer. LASP and Northrup Grumman Space Systems led the development of new operational software in order to continue the SORCE mission. “The small, highly dedicated team persevered and excelled when encountering operational challenges. I am very proud of their excellent accomplishment and honored to have had the opportunity to participate in managing the SORCE mission.”
Continuing a Bright Legacy
As SORCE’s time in the Sun ends, NASA’s solar irradiance record continues with TSIS-1. The mission’s two instruments measure TSI and SSI with even more advanced instruments that build on SORCE’s legacy, said Wu. They have already enabled advances like establishing a new reference for the “quiet” Sun when there were no sunspots in 2019, and for comparing this to SORCE observations of the previous solar cycle minimum in 2008.
TSIS-2 is scheduled to launch in 2023 with identical instruments to TSIS-1. Its vantage point aboard its own spacecraft will give it more flexibility than TSIS-1’s data collection aboard the ISS.
“We are looking forward to continuing the groundbreaking science ushered in by SORCE, and to maintaining the solar irradiance data record through this decade and beyond with TSIS-1 and 2,” said LASP’s Peter Pilewskie, principal investigator for the TSIS missions. “SORCE set the standard for measurement accuracy and spectral coverage, two attributes of the mission that were key to gaining insight into the Sun’s role in the climate system. TSIS has made additional improvements that should further enhance Sun-climate studies.”
“Solar irradiance measurements are very challenging, and the SORCE team proposed a different way, a new technology, to measure them,” said Wu. “Using advanced technology to advance our science capability, SORCE is a very good example of NASA’s spirit.”
###
For more information on SORCE, visit: http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/sorce/.
From EurekAlert!
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