wattsupwiththat--2020-11-24--WMO: “impact of the COVID-19 confinements [on CO2] cannot be distinguished from natural variability”

Proof that ongoing expensive CO2 reduction efforts are utterly futile .
Green hopes that the Covid-19 lockdown would have a significant impact on global CO2 have been dashed .
The WMO said the change in carbon dioxide concentrations – the result of cumulative past and current emissions – is , in fact , no bigger than the normal year-to-year fluctuations in the carbon cycle and in the amount of carbon being soaked up by vegetation and oceans .
The alarming patterns were published on Monday by the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ) , crushing hopes that lockdowns across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main driver to climate change , to a record low .
Carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year and are expected to keep growing in 2020 , despite coronavirus-related restrictions that forced a global industrial slowdown .
Geneva , 23 November 2020 ( WMO ) – The industrial slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has not curbed record levels of greenhouse gases which are trapping heat in the atmosphere , increasing temperatures and driving more extreme weather , ice melt , sea-level rise and ocean acidification , according to the World Meteorological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has cut emissions of many pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide .
But any impact on CO concentrations – the result of cumulative past and current emissions – is in fact no bigger than the normal year to year fluctuations in the carbon cycle and the high natural variability in carbon sinks like vegetation .
Carbon dioxide levels saw another growth spurt in 2019 and the annual global average breached the significant threshold of 410 parts per million , according to the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin .
The rise has continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a 45 % increase in total radiative forcing – the warming effect on the climate – by long-lived greenhouse gases , with CO accounting for four fifths of this .
“ Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries and in the ocean for even longer .
The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO was 3-5 million years ago , when the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now .
But there weren ’ t 7.7 billion inhabitants , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We breached the global threshold of 400 parts per million in 2015 .
And just four years later , we crossed 410 ppm .
Such a rate of increase has never been seen in the history of our records .
The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph .
We need a sustained flattening of the curve , ” said Prof Taalas .
“ The COVID-19 pandemic is not a solution for climate change .
However , it does provide us with a platform for more sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to net zero through a complete transformation of our industrial , energy and transport systems .
The needed changes are economically affordable and technically possible and would affect our everyday life only marginally .
It is to be welcomed that a growing number of countries and companies have committed themselves to carbon neutrality , ” he said .
“ There is no time to lose.
” The Global Carbon Project estimated that during the most intense period of the shutdown , daily CO emissions may have been reduced by up to 17 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population .
As the duration and severity of confinement measures remain unclear , the prediction of the total annual emission reduction over 2020 is very uncertain .
Preliminary estimates indicate a reduction in the annual global emission between 4.2 % and 7.5 % .
At the global scale , an emissions reduction this scale will not cause atmospheric CO to go down .
CO will continue to go up , though at a slightly reduced pace ( 0.08-0.23 ppm per year lower ) .
This falls well within the 1 ppm natural inter-annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short-term the impact of the COVID-19 confinements can not be distinguished from natural variability , according to the Bulletin .
The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin – one of WMO ’ s flagship reports – provides details on atmospheric abundance of the main long-lived greenhouse gases : carbon dioxide , methane and nitrous oxide .
The Bulletin is based on observations and measurements from WMO ’ s Global Atmosphere Watch and partner networks , which includes atmospheric monitoring stations in remote Polar regions , high mountains and tropical islands .
These stations have continued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rotation of staff in often harsh and isolated locations .
Carbon dioxide is the single most important long-lived greenhouse gas in the atmosphere related to human activities , contributing about two thirds of the radiative forcing .
The annual globally averaged level of carbon dioxide was about 410.5 parts per million ( ppm ) in 2019 , up from 407.9 parts ppm in 2018 , having crossed the 400 parts per million benchmark in 2015 .
The increase in CO from 2018 to 2019 was larger than that observed from 2017 to 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last decade .
Emissions from combustion of fossil fuels and cement production , deforestation and other land-use change pushed 2019 atmospheric CO to 148 % of the pre-industrial level of 278 ppm , which represented a balance of fluxes among the atmosphere , the oceans and the land biosphere .
During last decade about 44 % of CO remained in the atmosphere , while 23 % was absorbed by the ocean and 29 % by land , with 4 % unattributed .
The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin is based on global average figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the upward trend continues in 2020 .
Monthly Average CO concentrations at the benchmark station of Mauna Loa , Hawaii , were 411.29 ppm in September 2020 , up from 408.54 ppm in September 2019 .
At Cape Grim in Tasmania ( Australia ) , the respective figures were 410.8 ppm in September 2020 , up from 408.58 ppm in 2019 .
Methane , a powerful greenhouse gas which remains in the atmosphere for less than a decade , was 260 % of pre-industrial levels in 2019 at 1 877 parts per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 was slightly lower than that observed from 2017 to 2018 but still higher than the average over the last decade .
Methane contributes about 16 % of the radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases .
Approximately 40 % of methane is emitted into the atmosphere by natural sources ( e.g.
, wetlands and termites ) , and about 60 % comes from anthropogenic sources ( e.g.
, ruminants , rice agriculture , fossil fuel exploitation , landfills and biomass burning ) .
Nitrous Oxide , which is both a greenhouse gas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per billion in 2019 , or 123 % above pre-industrial levels .
The increase from 2018 to 2019 was also lower than that observed from 2017 to 2018 and practically equal to the average growth rate over the past 10 years .
Several other gases are also presented in the Bulletin , including the ozone depleting substances regulated under the Montreal protocol .
The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Programme coordinates systematic observations and analysis of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric constituents .
Greenhouse gas measurement data are archived and distributed by the World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) at the Japan Meteorological Agency which celebrates its 30thanniversary in 2020 .
A separate and complementary Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment will be released on 9 December .
The Emissions Gap report assesses the latest scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas emissions ; they compare these with the emission levels permissible for the world to progress on a least-cost pathway to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement .
This difference between “ where we are likely to be and where we need to be ” is known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carbon Project will release its annual update of the global carbon budget and trends in December .
The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System ’ s authoritative voice on Weather , Climate and Water

Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Proof that ongoing expensive CO2 reduction efforts are utterly futile. Green hopes that the Covid-19 lockdown would have a significant impact on global CO2 have been dashed.
The WMO said the change in carbon dioxide concentrations – the result of cumulative past and current emissions – is, in fact, no bigger than the normal year-to-year fluctuations in the carbon cycle and in the amount of carbon being soaked up by vegetation and oceans.
The alarming patterns were published on Monday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), crushing hopes that lockdowns across the world would have pushed emissions, the main driver to climate change, to a record low.
Carbon dioxide levels hit new highs last year and are expected to keep growing in 2020, despite coronavirus-related restrictions that forced a global industrial slowdown.
From the WMO;
Carbon dioxide levels continue at record levels, despite COVID-19 lockdown
23 November 2020
Press Release Number: 23112020
Geneva, 23 November 2020 (WMO) – The industrial slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has not curbed record levels of greenhouse gases which are trapping heat in the atmosphere, increasing temperatures and driving more extreme weather, ice melt, sea-level rise and ocean acidification, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The lockdown has cut emissions of many pollutants and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. But any impact on CO 2 concentrations – the result of cumulative past and current emissions – is in fact no bigger than the normal year to year fluctuations in the carbon cycle and the high natural variability in carbon sinks like vegetation.
Carbon dioxide levels saw another growth spurt in 2019 and the annual global average breached the significant threshold of 410 parts per million, according to the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. The rise has continued in 2020. Since 1990, there has been a 45% increase in total radiative forcing – the warming effect on the climate – by long-lived greenhouse gases, with CO 2 accounting for four fifths of this.
“Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere for centuries and in the ocean for even longer. The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO 2 was 3-5 million years ago, when the temperature was 2-3°C warmer and sea level was 10-20 meters higher than now. But there weren’t 7.7 billion inhabitants,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas.
“We breached the global threshold of 400 parts per million in 2015. And just four years later, we crossed 410 ppm. Such a rate of increase has never been seen in the history of our records. The lockdown-related fall in emissions is just a tiny blip on the long-term graph. We need a sustained flattening of the curve,” said Prof Taalas.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not a solution for climate change. However, it does provide us with a platform for more sustained and ambitious climate action to reduce emissions to net zero through a complete transformation of our industrial, energy and transport systems. The needed changes are economically affordable and technically possible and would affect our everyday life only marginally. It is to be welcomed that a growing number of countries and companies have committed themselves to carbon neutrality,” he said. “There is no time to lose.”
CO 2 Methane Nitrous oxide 2019 global mean abundance 410.5±0.2 ppm 1877±2 ppb 332.0±0.1 ppb 2019 abundance relative to year 1750a 148% 260% 123% 2018-19 absolute increase 2.6 ppm 8 ppb 0.9 ppb 2018-19 relative increase 0.64% 0.43% 0.27% Mean annual absolute increase of last 10 years 2.37 ppm yr-1 7.3 ppb yr-1 0.96 ppb yr-1
2020 Trends
The Global Carbon Project estimated that during the most intense period of the shutdown, daily CO 2 emissions may have been reduced by up to 17% globally due to the confinement of the population. As the duration and severity of confinement measures remain unclear, the prediction of the total annual emission reduction over 2020 is very uncertain.
Preliminary estimates indicate a reduction in the annual global emission between 4.2% and 7.5%. At the global scale, an emissions reduction this scale will not cause atmospheric CO 2 to go down. CO 2 will continue to go up, though at a slightly reduced pace (0.08-0.23 ppm per year lower). This falls well within the 1 ppm natural inter-annual variability. This means that on the short-term the impact of the COVID-19 confinements cannot be distinguished from natural variability, according to the Bulletin.
New records in 2019
The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin – one of WMO’s flagship reports – provides details on atmospheric abundance of the main long-lived greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
The Bulletin is based on observations and measurements from WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch and partner networks, which includes atmospheric monitoring stations in remote Polar regions, high mountains and tropical islands. These stations have continued to function despite COVID-19 restrictions hampering resupplies and rotation of staff in often harsh and isolated locations.
Atmospheric radiative forcing, relative to 1750, of long-loved greenhouse gases and the 2019 update of the NOAA Annual Greenhouse Gas Index
CO 2
Carbon dioxide is the single most important long-lived greenhouse gas in the atmosphere related to human activities, contributing about two thirds of the radiative forcing. The annual globally averaged level of carbon dioxide was about 410.5 parts per million (ppm) in 2019, up from 407.9 parts ppm in 2018, having crossed the 400 parts per million benchmark in 2015. The increase in CO 2 from 2018 to 2019 was larger than that observed from 2017 to 2018 and also larger than the average over the last decade.
Emissions from combustion of fossil fuels and cement production, deforestation and other land-use change pushed 2019 atmospheric CO 2 to 148% of the pre-industrial level of 278 ppm, which represented a balance of fluxes among the atmosphere, the oceans and the land biosphere. During last decade about 44% of CO 2 remained in the atmosphere, while 23% was absorbed by the ocean and 29% by land, with 4% unattributed.
The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin is based on global average figures for 2019. Individual stations have shown that the upward trend continues in 2020. Monthly Average CO 2 concentrations at the benchmark station of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, were 411.29 ppm in September 2020, up from 408.54 ppm in September 2019. At Cape Grim in Tasmania (Australia), the respective figures were 410.8 ppm in September 2020, up from 408.58 ppm in 2019.
Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas which remains in the atmosphere for less than a decade, was 260% of pre-industrial levels in 2019 at 1 877 parts per billion. The increase from 2018 to 2019 was slightly lower than that observed from 2017 to 2018 but still higher than the average over the last decade.
Methane contributes about 16% of the radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases. Approximately 40% of methane is emitted into the atmosphere by natural sources (e.g., wetlands and termites), and about 60% comes from anthropogenic sources (e.g., ruminants, rice agriculture, fossil fuel exploitation, landfills and biomass burning).
Nitrous Oxide, which is both a greenhouse gas and ozone depleting chemical, reached 332.0 parts per billion in 2019, or 123% above pre-industrial levels. The increase from 2018 to 2019 was also lower than that observed from 2017 to 2018 and practically equal to the average growth rate over the past 10 years.
Several other gases are also presented in the Bulletin, including the ozone depleting substances regulated under the Montreal protocol.
Notes for Editors
The WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Programme coordinates systematic observations and analysis of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric constituents. Greenhouse gas measurement data are archived and distributed by the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG) at the Japan Meteorological Agency which celebrates its 30thanniversary in 2020.
A separate and complementary Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment will be released on 9 December. The Emissions Gap report assesses the latest scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas emissions; they compare these with the emission levels permissible for the world to progress on a least-cost pathway to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. This difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be” is known as the emissions gap.
The Global Carbon Project will release its annual update of the global carbon budget and trends in December.
The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System’s authoritative voice on Weather, Climate and Water
For further information contact: Clare Nullis, media officer. Email cnullis@wmo.int. Cell 41797091397


wattsupwiththat--2020-11-24--An Important Finding about the September Labor Day Wildfires

One reason why research is so much fun is that once in a while you learn something important that is unexpected .
A new and highly significant finding .
I had such a “ wow ” experience recently regarding the September wildfires that caused so much damage and smoke on the western slopes of the Cascades .
Currently , I have a research grant form the National Science Foundation , and smaller grants with the USDA Forest Service and WA DNR , to work on wildfire/weather issues .
Recently , our group has completed three papers on the intersection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Country Fires of 2017 , the Camp Fire of 2019 , and Diablo downslope winds of northern CA .
I was working on a paper on the meteorology of the great western Oregon/Washington wildfires , when the big Labor Day Oregon wildfire siege occurred .
So naturally my group turned to understand the event .
Why did this major event happen ?
How did it evolve ?
Was something unusual going on ?
How well was it forecast ?
These and other questions were on the table .
We knew the strong easterly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event were critical for initiating and/or spreading the fires .
In fact , my initial work suggested that ALL major fires on the western slopes of the Oregon and Washington Cascades are associated with powerful easterly winds .
I asked research meteorologist David Ovens to take a look at the upper air weather observing sites in the region , locations where balloon-lifted weather stations ( radiosondes ) are launched twice a day to give us winds and other weather variables aloft .
Of particular interest was the Salem , Oregon radiosonde data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surface ( 925 hPa–around 800 meters above the surface ) .
This elevation is very relevant to winds observed over the nearby western slopes of the Oregon Cascades .
The record at Salem goes back 64 years to 1956 , long enough to tell us a great deal about how unusual the situation was this September .
It did not take Dave long to send me a figure with the requested information and I had my wow moment .
Below is the figure .
Let me explain it .
I asked him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 800 m about sea level ) winds and to limit the analysis to August and September , since those are the months of historical big fires on the western slopes of the Cascades .
Each observation during the 64 years during those months was plotted , with the associated wind direction indicated by the x-axis and the wind speed on the y-axis .
You will notice two major peaks in strong winds during those late summer months : ( 1 ) northerly to north-northeasterly and ( 2 ) south to southwesterly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure builds over the eastern Pacific and the southwesterly powerful winds occur when a strong trough or low-pressure system approaches the coast .
The southwesterly winds are the strongest ( up to 51 knots ! )
, but they are associated with clouds and rain , so little fire danger from them .
I asked Dave to identify the observations taken during the Oregon fire storm period with red dots— and that is when the wow moment came .
Look at the red dot for September 8th at 1200 UTC–5 AM ( 2020-09-08 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accelerating over western Oregon ( indicated by red arrow ) .
Just extraordinary .
The winds at that time were THE STRONGEST EVER OBSERVED at the site during those months for any wind direction from the north , east , southeast , or northwest .
The stronger the winds the greater the potential for rapid fire growth , and the greater the potential for fire ignition by failing electrical infrastructure and other causes.Importantly , these were the strongest winds by far from the east and thus downslope on the western slopes of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ east are inevitably very dry and the air progressively became drier the longer they blow from that direction .
So why were the easterly winds so strong ?
Our research identified the reason : unusually cold air and accompanying high pressure moving to the east of the Cascades .
The pressure analysis 5 AM Sept 8th is shown below , with a measure of the difference from normal shown by colors .
High pressure was centered over Idaho and extended into eastern Oregon .
The colors indicate the pressure was VERY unusual–up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that date .
To give you an idea of how unusual , if the deviation was 4.5 , this would indicte an event that would occur once in 147,000 times .
The air was so cold that it brought record cold and snow to the Front Range of Colorado and environs .
So the whole situation is ironic and interesting : record cold to the east brought record fires to the west.___________________________________

Reposted from the Cliff Mass Weather Blog
Monday, November 23, 2020
One reason why research is so much fun is that once in a while you learn something important that is unexpected. A new and highly significant finding.
I had such a “wow” experience recently regarding the September wildfires that caused so much damage and smoke on the western slopes of the Cascades.
Currently, I have a research grant form the National Science Foundation, and smaller grants with the USDA Forest Service and WA DNR, to work on wildfire/weather issues. Recently, our group has completed three papers on the intersection of weather/climate with wildfires: on the Wine Country Fires of 2017, the Camp Fire of 2019, and Diablo downslope winds of northern CA.
I was working on a paper on the meteorology of the great western Oregon/Washington wildfires, when the big Labor Day Oregon wildfire siege occurred. So naturally my group turned to understand the event.
Why did this major event happen? How did it evolve? Was something unusual going on? How well was it forecast? These and other questions were on the table.
We knew the strong easterly (from the east) winds during the event were critical for initiating and/or spreading the fires. In fact, my initial work suggested that ALL major fires on the western slopes of the Oregon and Washington Cascades are associated with powerful easterly winds.
I asked research meteorologist David Ovens to take a look at the upper air weather observing sites in the region, locations where balloon-lifted weather stations (radiosondes) are launched twice a day to give us winds and other weather variables aloft.
Of particular interest was the Salem, Oregon radiosonde data at the first standard elevation above the surface (925 hPa–around 800 meters above the surface). This elevation is very relevant to winds observed over the nearby western slopes of the Oregon Cascades.
The record at Salem goes back 64 years to 1956, long enough to tell us a great deal about how unusual the situation was this September. It did not take Dave long to send me a figure with the requested information and I had my wow moment.
Below is the figure. Let me explain it.
I asked him to only plot the 925 hPa (again about 800 m about sea level) winds and to limit the analysis to August and September, since those are the months of historical big fires on the western slopes of the Cascades. Each observation during the 64 years during those months was plotted, with the associated wind direction indicated by the x-axis and the wind speed on the y-axis.
You will notice two major peaks in strong winds during those late summer months: (1) northerly to north-northeasterly and (2) south to southwesterly. The northerly wind peak occurs when high pressure builds over the eastern Pacific and the southwesterly powerful winds occur when a strong trough or low-pressure system approaches the coast. The southwesterly winds are the strongest (up to 51 knots!), but they are associated with clouds and rain, so little fire danger from them.
I asked Dave to identify the observations taken during the Oregon fire storm period with red dots— and that is when the wow moment came. Look at the red dot for September 8th at 1200 UTC–5 AM (2020-09-08 12z)—just when the fires were accelerating over western Oregon (indicated by red arrow).
Just extraordinary. The winds at that time were THE STRONGEST EVER OBSERVED at the site during those months for any wind direction from the north, east, southeast, or northwest. The stronger the winds the greater the potential for rapid fire growth, and the greater the potential for fire ignition by failing electrical infrastructure and other causes.Importantly, these were the strongest winds by far from the east and thus downslope on the western slopes of the Oregon Cascades. Downslope winds from the east are inevitably very dry and the air progressively became drier the longer they blow from that direction.
So why were the easterly winds so strong?
Our research identified the reason: unusually cold air and accompanying high pressure moving to the east of the Cascades.
The pressure analysis 5 AM Sept 8th is shown below, with a measure of the difference from normal shown by colors. High pressure was centered over Idaho and extended into eastern Oregon. The colors indicate the pressure was VERY unusual–up to 4-5 standard deviations from the mean for that date. To give you an idea of how unusual, if the deviation was 4.5, this would indicte an event that would occur once in 147,000 times.
The air was so cold that it brought record cold and snow to the Front Range of Colorado and environs.
So the whole situation is ironic and interesting: record cold to the east brought record fires to the west.___________________________________
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wattsupwiththat--2020-11-26--Study: Climate Change Increases the Risk of Global Pandemics

Any change is bad ?
according to a new study , warming in cold climates or cooling in warm climates increases the risk of animals getting sick , which in turn increases human exposure to dangerous new pathogens .
Global warming likely to increase disease risk for animals worldwide Date : November 23 , 2020 Source : University of Notre Dame Summary : Changes in climate can increase infectious disease risk in animals , researchers found — with the possibility that these diseases could spread to humans , they warn .
Changes in climate can increase infectious disease risk in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibility that these diseases could spread to humans , they warn .
The study , conducted by scientists at the University of Notre Dame , University of South Florida and University of Wisconsin-Madison , supports a phenomenon known as “ thermal mismatch hypothesis , ” which is the idea that the greatest risk for infectious disease in cold climate-adapted animals — such as polar bears — occurs as temperatures rise , while the risk for animals living in warmer climates occurs as temperatures fall .
The hypothesis proposes that smaller organisms like pathogens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than larger organisms , such as hosts or animals .
“ Understanding how the spread , severity and distribution of animal infectious diseases could change in the future has reached a new level of importance as a result of the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 , a pathogen which appears to have originated from wildlife , ” said Jason Rohr , co-author of the paper published in Science and the Ludmilla F. , Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease events have a wildlife origin , this is yet another reason to implement mitigation strategies to reduce climate change.
” The abstract of the study ; Divergent impacts of warming weather on wildlife disease risk across climates Climate change appears to be provoking changes in the patterns and intensity of infectious diseases .
For example , when conditions are cool , amphibians from warm climates experience greater burdens of infection by chytrid fungus than hosts from cool regions .
Cohen et al.undertook a global metanalysis of 383 studies to test whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ true over the gamut of host-pathogen relationships .
The authors combined date and location data with a selection of host and parasite traits and weather data .
In the resulting model , fungal disease risk increased sharply under cold abnormalities in warm climates , whereas bacterial disease prevalence increased sharply under warm abnormalities in cool climates .
Warming is projected to benefit helminths more than other parasites , and viral infections showed less obvious relationships with climate change .
The researchers ’ inference that distress experienced by animals during unusual weather conditions can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change seems dubious .
Why would animals which withstand seasonal temperature variations in the 10s of degrees will suddenly all sicken because of a rate of climate change which can barely be detected ?
Even on the edge of the tropics where I live Winter is around 5-10C colder than Summer .
A proportion of animals are always at the edge of their range , they continuously move about and probe new ranges .
It seems a big leap to infer that the gradual global warming we are experiencing would significantly increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Global warming of 0.1C / decade is the climatic equivalent of moving South a few miles every year .
Even a mouse can out walk climate change .

Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Any change is bad? according to a new study, warming in cold climates or cooling in warm climates increases the risk of animals getting sick, which in turn increases human exposure to dangerous new pathogens.
Global warming likely to increase disease risk for animals worldwide Date: November 23, 2020
Source: University of Notre Dame
Summary: Changes in climate can increase infectious disease risk in animals, researchers found — with the possibility that these diseases could spread to humans, they warn. Changes in climate can increase infectious disease risk in animals, researchers found — with the possibility that these diseases could spread to humans, they warn. The study, conducted by scientists at the University of Notre Dame, University of South Florida and University of Wisconsin-Madison, supports a phenomenon known as “thermal mismatch hypothesis,” which is the idea that the greatest risk for infectious disease in cold climate-adapted animals — such as polar bears — occurs as temperatures rise, while the risk for animals living in warmer climates occurs as temperatures fall. The hypothesis proposes that smaller organisms like pathogens function across a wider range of temperatures than larger organisms, such as hosts or animals. “Understanding how the spread, severity and distribution of animal infectious diseases could change in the future has reached a new level of importance as a result of the global pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, a pathogen which appears to have originated from wildlife,” said Jason Rohr, co-author of the paper published in Science and the Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame. “Given that the majority of emerging infectious disease events have a wildlife origin, this is yet another reason to implement mitigation strategies to reduce climate change.” … Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201123161032.htm
The abstract of the study;
Divergent impacts of warming weather on wildlife disease risk across climates Jeremy M. Cohen1,2,*, Erin L. Sauer1,2, Olivia Santiago1,†, Samuel Spencer1,†, Jason R. Rohr Climate change alters disease risks Climate change appears to be provoking changes in the patterns and intensity of infectious diseases. For example, when conditions are cool, amphibians from warm climates experience greater burdens of infection by chytrid fungus than hosts from cool regions. Cohen et al.undertook a global metanalysis of 383 studies to test whether this “thermal mismatch” hypothesis holds true over the gamut of host-pathogen relationships. The authors combined date and location data with a selection of host and parasite traits and weather data. In the resulting model, fungal disease risk increased sharply under cold abnormalities in warm climates, whereas bacterial disease prevalence increased sharply under warm abnormalities in cool climates. Warming is projected to benefit helminths more than other parasites, and viral infections showed less obvious relationships with climate change. Read more: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6519/eabb1702
The researchers’ inference that distress experienced by animals during unusual weather conditions can tell you anything about the impact of climate change seems dubious.
Why would animals which withstand seasonal temperature variations in the 10s of degrees will suddenly all sicken because of a rate of climate change which can barely be detected?
Even on the edge of the tropics where I live Winter is around 5-10C colder than Summer.
A proportion of animals are always at the edge of their range, they continuously move about and probe new ranges. It seems a big leap to infer that the gradual global warming we are experiencing would significantly increase the number of animals experiencing range distress. Global warming of 0.1C / decade is the climatic equivalent of moving South a few miles every year. Even a mouse can out walk climate change.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-11-26--Italian Covid-19 Lockdown Businesses Threaten a Tax Strike

50,000 Italian businesses hit with repeated lockdowns have threatened a tax strike , on the grounds it is unreasonable for the government to demand tax money if they are not allowed to conduct their business .
A Tuscan group representing small and medium-sized enterprises has threatened the government with a tax strike if businesses are forced to close due to Wuhan coronavirus lockdown measures .
Confcommercio Toscana said that it would support any of its 50,000 members across Tuscany in their tax strike .
The group ’ s president , Anna Lapini , stated that “ those who govern us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our companies , which instead continue to run ” .
She added that businesses would not have the cash needed to make tax payments .
“ Our companies no longer have resources , and we prefer to continue to pay employees and suppliers as a priority over a state that does not understand , but rather tramples on , our reasons for existence .
So we pay no more taxes , ” Lapini said , according to Il Giornale .
If a business is not allowed to conduct their business , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay their taxes ?
Of course , I am not in any way advocating anyone break the law .
Anyone who refuses to pay their taxes , for whatever reason , is likely to have a very rough time indeed .

Carbon tax symbol of energy as oil and gas price increase and taxes on coal plants and nuclear fuel power plant shaped as a hand as a concept for environmental green tariffs with 3D illustration elements.
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
50,000 Italian businesses hit with repeated lockdowns have threatened a tax strike, on the grounds it is unreasonable for the government to demand tax money if they are not allowed to conduct their business.
Italian Businesses Threaten Tax Strike If Closed Under Lockdown CHRIS TOMLINSON
25 Nov 2020 A Tuscan group representing small and medium-sized enterprises has threatened the government with a tax strike if businesses are forced to close due to Wuhan coronavirus lockdown measures. Confcommercio Toscana said that it would support any of its 50,000 members across Tuscany in their tax strike. The group’s president, Anna Lapini, stated that “those who govern us have not bothered to stop the costs to our companies, which instead continue to run”. She added that businesses would not have the cash needed to make tax payments. “Our companies no longer have resources, and we prefer to continue to pay employees and suppliers as a priority over a state that does not understand, but rather tramples on, our reasons for existence. So we pay no more taxes,” Lapini said, according to Il Giornale. Italy: Salvini and Allies Demand Govt Suspend Taxes in Lockdown Areas https://t.co/dk9AelzI8f — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 8, 2020 … Read more: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/11/25/italian-businesses-threaten-tax-strike-if-closed-under-lockdown/
If a business is not allowed to conduct their business, how are they supposed to raise revenue to pay their taxes?
Of course, I am not in any way advocating anyone break the law. Anyone who refuses to pay their taxes, for whatever reason, is likely to have a very rough time indeed.
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wattsupwiththat--2020-11-26--Scientists Discover Skyscraper-Sized Reef… In the Great Barrier Reef

Guest “ How did they miss this ?
” by David Middleton AUSTRALIAN SCIENTISTS DISCOVER 500 METER TALL CORAL REEF IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF–FIRST TO BE DISCOVERED IN OVER 120 YEARS CAPE YORK , AUSTRALIA – Scientists have discovered a massive detached coral reef in the Great Barrier Reef–the first to be discovered in over 120 years , Schmidt Ocean Institute announced today .
Measuring more than 500m high–taller than the Empire State Building , the Sydney Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers–the reef was discovered by Australian scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute ’ s research vessel Falkor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ocean surrounding Australia .
The reef was first found on Oct. 20 , as a team of scientists led by Dr. Robin Beaman from James Cook University was conducting underwater mapping of the northern Great Barrier Reef seafloor .
The team then conducted a dive on Oct. 25 using Schmidt Ocean Institute ’ s underwater robot SuBastian to explore the new reef .
The dive was live-streamed , with the high-resolution footage viewed for the first time and broadcast on Schmidt Ocean Institute ’ s website and YouTube channel .
The base of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rises 500m to its shallowest depth of only 40m below the sea surface .
This newly discovered detached reef adds to the seven other tall detached reefs in the area , mapped since the late 1800s , including the reef at Raine Island–the world ’ s most important green sea turtle nesting area .
“ This unexpected discovery affirms that we continue to find unknown structures and new species in our Ocean , ” said Wendy Schmidt , co-founder of Schmidt Ocean Institute .
“ The state of our knowledge about what ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so limited .
Thanks to new technologies that work as our eyes , ears and hands in the deep ocean , we have the capacity to explore like never before .
New oceanscapes are opening to us , revealing the ecosystems and diverse life forms that share the planet with us.
” Does it strike anyone else as odd , that they can claim , with certainty , that half of the Great Barrier Reef is dead , while not knowing that there was a skyscraper-sized pinnacle reef sitting right under their noses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ scientists ” when they discover healthy , thriving coral reefs ?
It seems as if every newly discovered reef is healthy and thriving… particularly if it is in a remote area and not frequented by tourists and scuba divers .
Why are these remote reefs miraculously immune to Gorebal Warming and Ocean Neutralization , while the reefs crawling with tourists and scuba divers are not ?
Glass sponge reefs thought to be extinct are discovered to be thriving in ocean depths Mummies , they ’ re called , these strange shapes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exist on Earth .
Stretching some 2900 kilometers from Spain to Romania , the long , sinuous curve of millions of mummies—once-living , vase-shaped animals—is a fossil reef .
In its heyday in the Jurassic , the reef dwarfed today ’ s Great Barrier Reef off Australia ’ s northeastern coast .
Now it is visible only in rock outcrops dotted across a vast area of central and southern Spain , southwestern Germany , central Poland , southeastern France , Switzerland , and eastern Romania near the Black Sea .
The ancient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but of deep-sea sponges called hexactinellids .
Hexactinellids , or glass sponges , use silica dissolved in seawater to manufacture a skeleton of four- or six-pointed siliceous spicules .
Individual glass sponges , such as the beautiful Venus ’ s flower-basket sponge ( Euplectella aspergillum ) , are still found in the deep sea but are a different genus and species from the Jurassic reef-builders .
Reef-building glass sponges , known only from fossilized remains , are thought to have gone extinct 100 million years ago , driven out by competition from newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbia ’ s Strait of Georgia , Hecate Strait , and Queen Charlotte Sound concealed the next chapter in an eons-old tale .
For decades , hints of something alive—something no one had seen before—washed up on the shores of Galiano Island in the Strait of Georgia .
Walking along a beach on the island , long-time resident Elizabeth McClelland found pieces of an unidentified object in the tide line .
“ Every so often , I ’ d come across bits of flotsam that were very delicate but very sharp , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found a fairly large piece of these unknown gifts from the sea.
” Then came an odd clue at the bottom of Hecate Strait .
During a 1984 seafloor mapping expedition , scientists from the Geological Survey of Canada , using sonar imaging , saw mounds over huge areas of the seafloor—areas that should have been completely flat .
Similar acoustic anomalies , as geological survey scientists Kim Conway and Vaughn Barrie referred to them , were observed again in 1986 during a survey of Queen Charlotte Sound .
Reef-building glass sponges gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1987 : underwater photography in Hecate Strait captured the sponges on film .
Far from extinct , the sponges were thriving in the depths off British Columbia .
MUSANDAM // A survey of the peninsula by an expedition of marine scientists and volunteer divers has found that its coral reefs are thriving .
For Dr Jean-Luc Solandt , an expedition member and one of the authors of the report , said when it came to the health of corals , the sites were in better condition than many locations famous for being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding location , ” said Dr Solandt , senior biodiversity policy officer at the Marine Conservation Society .
“ The coral health is excellent.
” The healthy Musandam reefs could well be a source of population recovery for reefs in the Arabian Gulf , where physical and man-made factors combine to create an environment that is more challenging for corals .
Many of the sites hosted very large colonies of the genus Porites .
Some of the colonies , said Dr Solandt , were “ the size of small houses ” , indicating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years old .
This also most likely meant that no significant damaging events had occurred within this timeframe , said the report .
It seems to me that that scuba divers tend to whine more than other groups about Gorebal Warming and Ocean Neutralization killing coral reefs .
I have also noticed variations of this in several articles… Coral reefs can even handle numerous predictions of their imminent demise… For at least fifty years , agitated academics have been predicting the end of Australia ’ s Great Barrier Reef .
Now international “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But despite the alarms , the reef is still there .
Corals are among the greatest survivors on Earth and have been here for about 500 million years .
Many of the types of corals found on reefs today were present in similar forms on reefs 50 million years ago .
Since corals first appeared there have been five mass extinctions when over 50 % of all life forms on land and in the seas died .
Corals also survived several deadly ice ages when sea levels fell so low that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limestone hills on dry land .
But always some colonisers followed the retreating seas and survived .
Then came the hot climate eras when the great ice sheets melted and sea levels rose dramatically .
Some coral reefs drowned , but others just built on top of the old drowned corals forming the beautiful coral atolls we see today .
Corals flourish in gently rising seas such as we have today – it gives them room to refresh and grow vertically .
And if the water gets too warm , coral larvae just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poles .
The Great Barrier Reef would move slowly south .
Corals have outlasted the dinosaurs , the mammoths and the sabre-toothed tiger .
Captain Cook ’ s ship was almost disembowelled by the sturdy corals of the Great Barrier Reef in 1770 .
If Cook came back today , he would be unable to detect any changes in the Reef .
No matter what the future holds , corals are more likely than humans to survive the next major extinction .
In the event of yet another Ice Age we must hope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things we will need to survive – food , energy , chemicals , shelter , concrete and steel generated by carbon fuels .
Follow us : @ AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook Chicken Little of the Sea doesn ’ t even bother them… I ’ m really beginning to think that the only thing coral reefs can ’ t handle are too many scuba divers .
Coral reefs are amazingly undaunted by “ a trend of widespread decline in coral reefs across the Caribbean ” … What is so special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coral reefs even handled the much warmer Eemian ( Sangamonian ) interglacial stage… Recent ‘ extreme ’ weather events , rising carbon dioxide levels and the growing evidence of retreating glaciers have increasingly become the subjects of much debate in the popular press and numerous fields of scientific research .
Driving these discussions are questions aimed at discerning what drives the climate on Earth .
Several have been noted in previous research : Milankovitch cycles , solar output , continental configurations and the most recent and controversial , carbon dioxide and other greenhouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In order to understand what we should expect , both from a climate change perspective and from a changing biogeographical perspective during our current interglacial phase , scientists have looked to the last interglacial period in the geologic record , the Sangamon Stage ( or the Eemian , as it appears in European literature ) approximately 114,000 – 130,000 years ago for answers .
Similarly , the limestones deposited in coral reef complexes near Bermuda , the Florida Keys and part of the Miami Limestone had to have been formed in seas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meters higher than current sea level with most sea level estimates being placed at 6 – 10 meters higher than today .
These values represent data gathered during 2 of the lower sea stands during the Sangamon with the 3rd being much higher than the others based on ?
O18 minimums obtained from oxygen isotope data of deep sea cores ( USGS ) .
The implications of such a high sea level suggests that massive changes in a number of the elements that factor into establishing a particular global climate regime had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Northern Hemisphere , during the Sangamon , would have received higher insolation rates ( solar radiation received on a surface during a unit of time ) than today and a large portion of Greenland ’ s Ice Sheet and significant portions of the West Antarctic Ice sheet would have had to melt to produce the sea level rise necessary for coral reef derived limestone formations to have been generated at the elevations that they are present at today ( Koerner ) .
Carbon dioxide concentrations weren ’ t as high in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they were still much higher than any of the previous or following glacial periods .
This combination of high CO2 and increased insolation due to Milankovitch cycle parameters would have altered the climate regimes around the globe .
Global temperatures were thought to be 5-7 °C ( 9-13 °F ) higher than the current interglacial period according to North Atlantic oceanic sediment cores with South Pacific oceanic cores showing a rise of only 3-5 °C ( 5.4-9 °F ) .
Across the majority of Europe , general scientific consensus was that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than today ’ s environment .
This resulted in the development of vast temperate forests and the rapid expansion of species , most notably Carpinus across the area ( Turner 2000 ) .
Although the Eemian was consistently much warmer , evidence has been building that a large scale late Eemian arid ‘ pulse ’ dominated central Europe resulting in the widespread takeover of ecological niches by various grasses and shrubby bushes before returning to a warm , somewhat more moist climate dominated by temperate forests just before the most recent glacial stadial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Coupled with the climatic discrepancies are the discrepancies with analyzing how life will respond to the changing environment .
As Smith and Buddemeier explained , looking at oceanic chemistry and a number of other factors , a rise in sea level could actually benefit most coral reef complexes if sea level and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise at anticipated rates within the next 100 years .
The net effect would cause a drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide as more of this greenhouse gas gets incorporated as CaCO3 as various reef complexes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a valid point when they explain that the number of factors affecting coral reef health and viability , coupled with the modest changes expected from various climate change simulations indicate that on a global scale , coral reefs are unlikely to be adversely affected by projected climate change .
It is only on the local scale that coral reef communities could be at risk .
Fortunately for coral reefs , there were no scuba divers 130,000 years ago .
More deep water and even more surprised scientists… Science Features – Discoveries of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ridge In the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico , approximately 250 km west of Cape Sable , Florida , and 70 km west of the Dry Tortugas , are a series of drowned barrier islands known as Pulley Ridge .
The ridge was found in 1950 , but it wasn ’ t until recent years that scientists discovered something extraordinary .
The southern portion of the ridge is a thriving coral reef , a pristine habitat teeming with life and color .
Here , more than 60 species of fish swim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An abundance of algae sprinkles the seascape in vibrant reds and greens .
Brilliant blue-purple corals stretch across the sea floor like giant plates .
Octocorals , with tiny featherlike tendrils and colors that vary per colony , reach out with sometimes light and delicate and sometimes bright and knobby arms .
And in the soft light that filters down from the distant surface , luxuriant fields of the leafy algae Anadyomene menziesii rise from the sea floor like patches of lettuce at dusk .
The reef was discovered in 1999 , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies and the University of South Florida ( USF ) boarded the research vessel Bellows and set sail for the Pulley ridge area , where a bathymetric map of the ocean floor showed a mysterious bump .
Coral reefs can even handle being denigrated as endangered species… As the full moons of late summer and fall rise , so too , does the libido of threatened staghorn ( Acropora cervicornis ) and elkhorn ( Acropora palmata ) corals .
As the full moons of late summer and fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ libido of threatened staghorn ( Acropora cervicornis ) and elkhorn ( Acropora palmata ) corals .
Awakened from a year of sexual slumber , each species shakes off the shackles of celibacy to engage in a mass-spawning a few days after the brightest nights .
Facing declines of up to 97 percent in the past 30 years , these two species have been beaten back by disease , pollution , overfishing and climate change .
Their yearly spawning should be a time of celebration .
But after millions of years of successful group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may now be contributing to their ultimate demise .
A report this summer adds to a growing body of evidence that another coral , Acropora prolifera , may be overtaking reef real estate formerly occupied by elkhorns and staghorns .
Far from a foreign invader , genetic tests show this coral is in fact the offspring of an elkhorn and staghorn cross .
A. prolifera is a hybrid .
And its apparent rise is an indication of coral sex gone awry .
If Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata can interbreed to produce genetically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are not distinct species and should not be listed as endangered species .
Acropora is not endangered , prolifera should be a big , fat clue .
Coral reefs appear to be adapting quite well to climate change and Chicken Little of the Sea , if not adapting so well to scuba divers , snorkelers , agricultural runoff and idiots fishing with dynamite .
Coral reefs really do seem to like warm water and lots of CO in their diets… The Eniwetok/Bikini coral reef complex dates back to the Eocene , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Oddly enough , there is an unconformity between the Eocene and Miocene .
There was apparently little or no coral growth during the Oligocene , a period of global cooling and falling sea level .

Guest “How did they miss this?” by David Middleton
PRESS RELEASE / OCTOBER 26, 2020 AUSTRALIAN SCIENTISTS DISCOVER 500 METER TALL CORAL REEF IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF–FIRST TO BE DISCOVERED IN OVER 120 YEARS CAPE YORK, AUSTRALIA – Scientists have discovered a massive detached coral reef in the Great Barrier Reef–the first to be discovered in over 120 years, Schmidt Ocean Institute announced today. Measuring more than 500m high–taller than the Empire State Building, the Sydney Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers–the reef was discovered by Australian scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor, currently on a 12-month exploration of the ocean surrounding Australia. The reef was first found on Oct. 20, as a team of scientists led by Dr. Robin Beaman from James Cook University was conducting underwater mapping of the northern Great Barrier Reef seafloor. The team then conducted a dive on Oct. 25 using Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot SuBastian to explore the new reef. The dive was live-streamed, with the high-resolution footage viewed for the first time and broadcast on Schmidt Ocean Institute’s website and YouTube channel. The base of the blade-like reef is 1.5km-wide, then rises 500m to its shallowest depth of only 40m below the sea surface. This newly discovered detached reef adds to the seven other tall detached reefs in the area, mapped since the late 1800s, including the reef at Raine Island–the world’s most important green sea turtle nesting area. “This unexpected discovery affirms that we continue to find unknown structures and new species in our Ocean,” said Wendy Schmidt, co-founder of Schmidt Ocean Institute. “The state of our knowledge about what’s in the Ocean has long been so limited. Thanks to new technologies that work as our eyes, ears and hands in the deep ocean, we have the capacity to explore like never before. New oceanscapes are opening to us, revealing the ecosystems and diverse life forms that share the planet with us.” […] Schmidt Ocean Institute
“Newly discovered 500 meter tall detached reef adds to the seven other tall detached reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef.”
Does it strike anyone else as odd, that they can claim, with certainty, that half of the Great Barrier Reef is dead, while not knowing that there was a skyscraper-sized pinnacle reef sitting right under their noses?
Why does it always shock the “scientists” when they discover healthy, thriving coral reefs?
It seems as if every newly discovered reef is healthy and thriving… particularly if it is in a remote area and not frequented by tourists and scuba divers.
Why are these remote reefs miraculously immune to Gorebal Warming and Ocean Neutralization, while the reefs crawling with tourists and scuba divers are not?
More Mind-boggling Facts About Coral Reefs
Coral reefs can handle “highly acidic ocean waters”…
Pacific Mystery: Coral Reefs Are Thriving, But How? Jun 5, 2015 A College of Geosciences researcher and her colleagues have found healthy coral reefs in highly acidic ocean waters. “The reefs appear to be thriving, and we want to understand why,” says Kathryn Shamberger, assistant professor of oceanography. The team examined eight coral reefs in the Palauan archipelago and found high levels of acidification within the lagoons and inlets of the Palau Rock Islands. But despite the high levels, the Rock Island coral reefs appear to be extremely healthy. “Based on lab experiments and other studies, this is the opposite of what we expected,” says Barkley, the lead author. […] The team says that the acidification process in Palau is a natural one, due to a combination of biological activity and the slow flushing of water through the Rock Island lagoons that allows acidification levels to build up over time. […] http://geonews.tamu.edu/news/2015/06…e-thriving.php
Sediment laden waters…
Coral reef thriving in sediment-laden waters Rapid rates of coral reef growth have been identified in sediment-laden marine environments, conditions previously believed to be detrimental to reef growth. A new study has established that Middle Reef – part of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef – has grown more rapidly than many other reefs in areas with lower levels of sediment stress. […] http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/feature…222710_en.html
Rising seas (AKA deeper water)…
Great Barrier Reef found to have thriving deep water coral Updated 2:23 AM ET, Fri October 26, 2012 A recent survey of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef has found coral flourishing in deep waters, a stark contrast to the shallower reefs that have seen a drastic decline over the last few decades. The healthy coral populations were discovered to be below 30 meters — beyond the usual reach of most scuba divers — and even found at depths of 80 meters, according to the Catlin Seaview Survey. […] http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/26/world/…er-coral-reef/
Glacial cycles…
Rottnest’s tropical corals found to thrive July 9, 2015 by Kerry Faulkner Researchers are surprised at thriving coral growth at Rottnest Island, predicting its smaller coral communities could grow into a reef similar to the one that existed there in the Last Interglacial, approximately 130,000 years ago. […] http://m.phys.org/news/2015-07-rottn…al-corals.html
Pollution…
Hong Kong coral reef thrives despite pollution Amid major developments, territory’s scientists make unexpectedly pleasant underwater discovery. 08 Oct 2015 Marine life is thriving despite major developments at Hong Kong’s busy harbour. Like any other marine environment around the world, this region is feeling the impacts of climate change and development. Nevertheless, the stronger types of coral species are holding on despite the unrelenting conditions and scientists are now trying to establish how they survive. […] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/1…112117433.html
Ocean zoning…
Scientific Assessment Of Curaçao’s Coastal Waters Show Healthy And Thriving Coral And Fish Populations WILLEMSTAD – A recent two-week long scientific assessment surveyed over 150 dive sites of Curaçao’s shallow water reef sites and found signs of healthy coral and fish populations around the island, particularly in Oostpunt. The scientific assessment was a critical step in Blue Halo Curaçao and its comprehensive, science-based approach to ocean zoning. […] http://curacaochronicle.com/main/sci…h-populations/
A lack of data…
For marine biologists, the destruction of the reefs has proven to be as frustrating as it is heartbreaking. Because reef habitats are so complex, and because worldwide reef monitoring and mapping efforts only began a little over a decade ago, scientists simply do not have enough information to keep tabs on the destruction of the reefs, let alone come up with an effective solution. At the rate the reefs are disappearing, they may be beyond repair by the time a comprehensive plan to save reefs can be put into place… http://m.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Coral/
Harsh intertidal zones…
A Diverse Assemblage of Reef Corals Thriving in a Dynamic Intertidal Reef Setting (Bonaparte Archipelago, Kimberley, Australia) The susceptibility of reef-building corals to climatic anomalies is well documented and a cause of great concern for the future of coral reefs. Reef corals are normally considered to tolerate only a narrow range of climatic conditions with only a small number of species considered heat-tolerant. Occasionally however, corals can be seen thriving in unusually harsh reef settings and these are cause for some optimism about the future of coral reefs. Here we document for the first time a diverse assemblage of 225 species of hard corals occurring in the intertidal zone of the Bonaparte Archipelago, north western Australia. […] http://journals.plos.org/plosone/art…l.pone.0117791
Bad news about other ocean habitats…
Crown Jewel of Cuba’s Coral Reefs Jardines de la Reina, a vibrant marine preserve, is thriving even as other ocean habitats decline. By ERICA GOODE JULY 13, 2015 JARDINES DE LA REINA, Cuba — […] The sharks are a tourist attraction — at two of the many diving spots in the Gardens, they are fed to ensure larger numbers — but to scientists like Dr. Pina and Dr. Kritzer, their very presence here is an indicator of the coral reef’s robustness. Research has linked the health of reefs to habitation by large fish, and the absence of sharks and other top predators is often a sign of a reef in decline. […] The resilience of this coral reef seems beyond question. The waters inside the preserve hold 10 times as many sharks as outside, Dr. Pina said, and goliath grouper, rare in many places, are often seen here. […] http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/14….co/G6UkENfE29
Extinction…
Glass sponge reefs thought to be extinct are discovered to be thriving in ocean depths Mummies, they’re called, these strange shapes that form one of the largest structures ever to exist on Earth. Stretching some 2900 kilometers from Spain to Romania, the long, sinuous curve of millions of mummies—once-living, vase-shaped animals—is a fossil reef. In its heyday in the Jurassic, the reef dwarfed today’s Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeastern coast. Now it is visible only in rock outcrops dotted across a vast area of central and southern Spain, southwestern Germany, central Poland, southeastern France, Switzerland, and eastern Romania near the Black Sea. The ancient reef was made up not of corals but of deep-sea sponges called hexactinellids. Hexactinellids, or glass sponges, use silica dissolved in seawater to manufacture a skeleton of four- or six-pointed siliceous spicules. Individual glass sponges, such as the beautiful Venus’s flower-basket sponge (Euplectella aspergillum), are still found in the deep sea but are a different genus and species from the Jurassic reef-builders. Reef-building glass sponges, known only from fossilized remains, are thought to have gone extinct 100 million years ago, driven out by competition from newly arrived diatoms. […] The surprise find The darkness beneath British Columbia’s Strait of Georgia, Hecate Strait, and Queen Charlotte Sound concealed the next chapter in an eons-old tale. For decades, hints of something alive—something no one had seen before—washed up on the shores of Galiano Island in the Strait of Georgia. Walking along a beach on the island, long-time resident Elizabeth McClelland found pieces of an unidentified object in the tide line. “Every so often, I’d come across bits of flotsam that were very delicate but very sharp,” says McClelland. “My granddaughter once found a fairly large piece of these unknown gifts from the sea.” Then came an odd clue at the bottom of Hecate Strait. During a 1984 seafloor mapping expedition, scientists from the Geological Survey of Canada, using sonar imaging, saw mounds over huge areas of the seafloor—areas that should have been completely flat. Similar acoustic anomalies, as geological survey scientists Kim Conway and Vaughn Barrie referred to them, were observed again in 1986 during a survey of Queen Charlotte Sound. Reef-building glass sponges gave up their secret to Conway and Vaughn in 1987: underwater photography in Hecate Strait captured the sponges on film. Far from extinct, the sponges were thriving in the depths off British Columbia. […] BioScience (2008) 58 (4): 288-294. doi: 10.1641/B580403 http://m.bioscience.oxfordjournals.o…/58/4/288.full
An absence of scuba divers…
Corals in Musandam are thriving, report finds MUSANDAM // A survey of the peninsula by an expedition of marine scientists and volunteer divers has found that its coral reefs are thriving. […] For Dr Jean-Luc Solandt, an expedition member and one of the authors of the report, said when it came to the health of corals, the sites were in better condition than many locations famous for being scuba-diving haunts. “It is an outstanding location,” said Dr Solandt, senior biodiversity policy officer at the Marine Conservation Society. “The coral health is excellent.” […] The healthy Musandam reefs could well be a source of population recovery for reefs in the Arabian Gulf, where physical and man-made factors combine to create an environment that is more challenging for corals. Many of the sites hosted very large colonies of the genus Porites. Some of the colonies, said Dr Solandt, were “the size of small houses”, indicating they could well be more than 400 years old. This also most likely meant that no significant damaging events had occurred within this timeframe, said the report. […] http://m.thenational.ae/uae/environm…g-report-finds
It seems to me that that scuba divers tend to whine more than other groups about Gorebal Warming and Ocean Neutralization killing coral reefs. I have also noticed variations of this in several articles…
[W]hen it came to the health of corals, the sites were in better condition than many locations famous for being scuba-diving haunts…
Maybe coral reefs don’t like scuba divers???
More sea level rise and deeper waters…
Deep-Water Coral Reefs Thriving Off Puerto Rico CBSNEWS AP Jan 14, 2011 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – As the ocean floor plunges off southwestern Puerto Rico, it reveals coral reefs dotted with bright-blue sea squirts and a multitude of other organisms whose existence has given hope to scientists who strive to save the island’s threatened ecosystems. The organisms are an integral part of a group of reefs discovered to be thriving near an area where most shallow coral reefs and the fish that depend on them are in poor health overall. The reefs – at a depth of up to 500 feet (152 meters) in an area 12 miles (19 kilometers) across – were recently discovered as part of a federally funded mission to conduct research on deep-water corals, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “We stumbled across this area,” Richard Appeldoorn, a professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez who was involved in the mission, told The Associated Press on Thursday. Divers enrolled in a one-year training course to depths of up to 100 feet (31 meters) noticed the thriving reefs and large predators lurking nearby, said Appeldoorn, who oversees the university’s fisheries, biology and coral reef studies program. […] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/deep-wat…f-puerto-rico/
Heat…
A Bright Spot for Coral Reefs Air Date: Week of January 11, 2013 […] [C]orals in American Samoa are actually thriving despite the heat. At least that’s what researchers at Stanford University reported recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Steve Palumbi is a professor of Marine Science at Stanford University and a lead author on the research. He explained how corals bleach and otherwise react to the stresses of heat. […] http://loe.org/shows/segments.html?p…02&segmentID=6
More heat…
Diversity of Corals, Algae in Warm Indian Ocean Suggests Resilience to Future Global Warming 12 February 2010 Penn State researchers and their international collaborators have discovered a diversity of corals harboring unusual species of symbiotic algae in the warm waters of the Andaman Sea in the northeastern Indian Ocean. “The existence of so many novel coral symbioses thriving in a place that is too warm for most corals gives us hope that coral reefs and the ecosystems they support may persist — at least in some places — in the face of global warming,” said the team’s leader, Penn State Assistant Professor of Biology Todd LaJeunesse. […] http://science.psu.edu/news-and-even…Jeunesse2-2010
Coral reefs can even handle numerous predictions of their imminent demise…
December 19, 2013 Coral reefs, the great survivors By Viv Forbes For at least fifty years, agitated academics have been predicting the end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Now international “experts” are also sprouting coral calamity. But despite the alarms, the reef is still there. […] Corals are among the greatest survivors on Earth and have been here for about 500 million years. Many of the types of corals found on reefs today were present in similar forms on reefs 50 million years ago. Since corals first appeared there have been five mass extinctions when over 50% of all life forms on land and in the seas died. […] Corals also survived several deadly ice ages when sea levels fell so low that many coral reefs left their skeletons stranded as limestone hills on dry land. But always some colonisers followed the retreating seas and survived. Then came the hot climate eras when the great ice sheets melted and sea levels rose dramatically. Some coral reefs drowned, but others just built on top of the old drowned corals forming the beautiful coral atolls we see today. Corals flourish in gently rising seas such as we have today – it gives them room to refresh and grow vertically. And if the water gets too warm, coral larvae just drift into cooler waters closer to the poles. The Great Barrier Reef would move slowly south. Corals have outlasted the dinosaurs, the mammoths and the sabre-toothed tiger. Captain Cook’s ship was almost disembowelled by the sturdy corals of the Great Barrier Reef in 1770. If Cook came back today, he would be unable to detect any changes in the Reef. […] No matter what the future holds, corals are more likely than humans to survive the next major extinction. In the event of yet another Ice Age we must hope that reef alarmists have not denied us the things we will need to survive – food, energy, chemicals, shelter, concrete and steel generated by carbon fuels. Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/…#ixzz3vEkoWpx5 Follow us: @AmericanThinker on Twitter | AmericanThinker on Facebook
Atomic bombs…
Coral flourishing at Bikini Atoll atomic test site Tue Apr 15, 2008 By Rob Taylor CANBERRA (Reuters) – Coral is again flourishing in the crater left by the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the United States, 54 years after the blast on Bikini Atoll, marine scientists said on Tuesday. A team of research divers visited Bravo crater, ground zero for the test of a thermonuclear weapon in the remote Marshall Islands on March 1, 1954, and found large numbers of fish and coral growing, although some species appeared locally extinct. “I didn’t know what to expect, some kind of moonscape perhaps. But it was incredible,” Zoe Richards, from Australia’s James Cook University, told Reuters about the team’s trip to the atoll in the south Pacific. “We saw communities not too far from any coral reef, with plenty of fish, corals and action going on, some really striking individual colonies,” she said. […] http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article…80415?irpc=932
Chicken Little of the Sea doesn’t even bother them…
Coral Reefs March 2013, Volume 32, Issue 1, pp 305-314 First online: 22 November 2012 Ocean acidification does not affect the physiology of the tropical coral Acropora digitifera during a 5-week experiment A. Takahashi, H. Kurihara Abstract The increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, which has resulted from the burning of fossil fuels, is being absorbed by the oceans and is causing ocean acidification. Ocean acidification involves the decrease of both the pH and the calcium carbonate saturation state. Ocean acidification is predicted to impact the physiology of marine organisms and reduce the calcification rates of corals. In the present study, we measured the rates of calcification, respiration, photosynthesis, and zooxanthellae density of the tropical coral Acropora digitifera under near-natural summertime temperature and sunlight for a 5-week period. We found that these key physiological parameters were not affected… […] Additionally, there was no significant correlation between calcification rate and seawater aragonite saturation (Ωarag). These results suggest that the impacts of ocean acidification on corals physiology may be more complex than have been previously proposed. http://link.springer.com/article/10….338-012-0979-8
Offshore oil & gas drilling…
Spectacular reef awaits divers off coast of Galveston KHOU Staff, KHOU.com Jun 11, 2014 GALVESTON, Texas — When you think about Galveston, you probably picture sun and surf, maybe the Pleasure Pier or sometimes seaweed, but you probably don t think about great diving. […] The sanctuary actually encompasses three separate areas, underwater salt domes that stand higher than the surrounding ocean floor. Snapper and grouper fishermen who saw the colorful sponges and other marine life under their boats are credited with discovering the ecological wonder in the late 19th century. The area was designated as a national marine sanctuary in 1992 and it s now managed under the direction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. […] At a time when coral reefs around the world are in decline, Flower Garden Banks is thriving largely because it s so remote it attracts comparatively few divers. […] http://www.khou.com/story/news/local…7/25/12516962/
I’m really beginning to think that the only thing coral reefs can’t handle are too many scuba divers.
Coral reefs are amazingly undaunted by “a trend of widespread decline in coral reefs across the Caribbean”…
Scientists explore secret of Little Cayman’s coral reef success 30 December, 2014 By: James Whittaker | jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com What is so special about Little Cayman’s reefs? That’s the question a new $140,000 scientific study at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute will seek to answer. Scientists want to determine why reefs around the remote island are thriving and whether there are lessons that can be adapted to help protect and maintain vital coral reef systems around the world. The new study will look specifically at rare and endangered coral species around Little Cayman and attempt to determine why they are bucking a trend of widespread decline in coral reefs across the Caribbean. An earlier study by CCMI showed that coral cover had been increasing around Little Cayman over the past five years. […] http://www.compasscayman.com/mobile/…aspx?id=148014
What is so special about Little Cayman’s reefs?
Here’s a SWAG… They are REMOTE .
Coral reefs even handled the much warmer Eemian (Sangamonian) interglacial stage…
Sangamon Interglacial: Paleoclimatology and Future Climate Implications by Daniel Call Introduction Recent ‘extreme’ weather events, rising carbon dioxide levels and the growing evidence of retreating glaciers have increasingly become the subjects of much debate in the popular press and numerous fields of scientific research. Driving these discussions are questions aimed at discerning what drives the climate on Earth. Several have been noted in previous research: Milankovitch cycles, solar output, continental configurations and the most recent and controversial, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas atmospheric concentrations (Hambrey 2004). In order to understand what we should expect, both from a climate change perspective and from a changing biogeographical perspective during our current interglacial phase, scientists have looked to the last interglacial period in the geologic record, the Sangamon Stage (or the Eemian, as it appears in European literature) approximately 114,000 – 130,000 years ago for answers. […] Similarly, the limestones deposited in coral reef complexes near Bermuda, the Florida Keys and part of the Miami Limestone had to have been formed in seas that are anywhere from 6 to 19 meters higher than current sea level with most sea level estimates being placed at 6 – 10 meters higher than today. These values represent data gathered during 2 of the lower sea stands during the Sangamon with the 3rd being much higher than the others based on ?O18 minimums obtained from oxygen isotope data of deep sea cores (USGS). The implications of such a high sea level suggests that massive changes in a number of the elements that factor into establishing a particular global climate regime had to have occurred. Looking at Milankovitch cycles, the Northern Hemisphere, during the Sangamon, would have received higher insolation rates (solar radiation received on a surface during a unit of time) than today and a large portion of Greenland’s Ice Sheet and significant portions of the West Antarctic Ice sheet would have had to melt to produce the sea level rise necessary for coral reef derived limestone formations to have been generated at the elevations that they are present at today (Koerner). Carbon dioxide concentrations weren’t as high in the Sangamon as they are today, but they were still much higher than any of the previous or following glacial periods. This combination of high CO2 and increased insolation due to Milankovitch cycle parameters would have altered the climate regimes around the globe. Global temperatures were thought to be 5-7 °C (9-13 °F) higher than the current interglacial period according to North Atlantic oceanic sediment cores with South Pacific oceanic cores showing a rise of only 3-5 °C (5.4-9 °F). […] Across the majority of Europe, general scientific consensus was that the Eemian climate was much warmer and wetter than today’s environment. This resulted in the development of vast temperate forests and the rapid expansion of species, most notably Carpinus across the area (Turner 2000). Although the Eemian was consistently much warmer, evidence has been building that a large scale late Eemian arid ‘pulse’ dominated central Europe resulting in the widespread takeover of ecological niches by various grasses and shrubby bushes before returning to a warm, somewhat more moist climate dominated by temperate forests just before the most recent glacial stadial (Sirocko, et al. 2005). […] Coupled with the climatic discrepancies are the discrepancies with analyzing how life will respond to the changing environment. As Smith and Buddemeier explained, looking at oceanic chemistry and a number of other factors, a rise in sea level could actually benefit most coral reef complexes if sea level and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise at anticipated rates within the next 100 years. The net effect would cause a drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide as more of this greenhouse gas gets incorporated as CaCO3 as various reef complexes grow. Overall, Smith and Buddemeier make a valid point when they explain that the number of factors affecting coral reef health and viability, coupled with the modest changes expected from various climate change simulations indicate that on a global scale, coral reefs are unlikely to be adversely affected by projected climate change. It is only on the local scale that coral reef communities could be at risk. http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame…call3/sang.htm
Fortunately for coral reefs, there were no scuba divers 130,000 years ago.
More deep water and even more surprised scientists…
Science Features – Discoveries of the Deep—The Surprising Undersea World at Pulley Ridge In the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 250 km west of Cape Sable, Florida, and 70 km west of the Dry Tortugas, are a series of drowned barrier islands known as Pulley Ridge. The ridge was found in 1950, but it wasn’t until recent years that scientists discovered something extraordinary. The southern portion of the ridge is a thriving coral reef, a pristine habitat teeming with life and color. Here, more than 60 species of fish swim in predominantly clear, warm water. An abundance of algae sprinkles the seascape in vibrant reds and greens. Brilliant blue-purple corals stretch across the sea floor like giant plates. Octocorals, with tiny featherlike tendrils and colors that vary per colony, reach out with sometimes light and delicate and sometimes bright and knobby arms. And in the soft light that filters down from the distant surface, luxuriant fields of the leafy algae Anadyomene menziesii rise from the sea floor like patches of lettuce at dusk. The reef was discovered in 1999, as scientists and graduate students from the USGS Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies and the University of South Florida (USF) boarded the research vessel Bellows and set sail for the Pulley ridge area, where a bathymetric map of the ocean floor showed a mysterious bump. […] http://www.usgs.gov/homepage/science…lley_ridge.asp
Coral reefs can even handle being denigrated as endangered species…
Hybrid Corals: Sex Gone Awry or Saving Grace? As the full moons of late summer and fall rise, so too, does the libido of threatened staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals. By Marah J. Hardt on September 25, 2014 As the full moons of late summer and fall rise, so too, does the libido of threatened staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals. Awakened from a year of sexual slumber, each species shakes off the shackles of celibacy to engage in a mass-spawning a few days after the brightest nights. Facing declines of up to 97 percent in the past 30 years, these two species have been beaten back by disease, pollution, overfishing and climate change. Their yearly spawning should be a time of celebration. But after millions of years of successful group sex, the very act of reproduction may now be contributing to their ultimate demise. A report this summer adds to a growing body of evidence that another coral, Acropora prolifera, may be overtaking reef real estate formerly occupied by elkhorns and staghorns. Far from a foreign invader, genetic tests show this coral is in fact the offspring of an elkhorn and staghorn cross. A. prolifera is a hybrid. And its apparent rise is an indication of coral sex gone awry. […] http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/…-saving-grace/
If Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata can interbreed to produce genetically viable offspring (Acropora prolifera), they are not distinct species and should not be listed as endangered species. Acropora is not endangered, prolifera should be a big, fat clue.
Coral reefs appear to be adapting quite well to climate change and Chicken Little of the Sea, if not adapting so well to scuba divers, snorkelers, agricultural runoff and idiots fishing with dynamite.
Coral reefs really do seem to like warm water and lots of CO 2 in their diets…
The Eniwetok/Bikini coral reef complex dates back to the Eocene, when seawater pH was much lower than today.
Cenozoic seawater pH from boron isotopes in planktonic foraminifera (modified after Pearson & Palmer, 2000). Note that pH was lower than the PETM 51.5 (EECO) and 59.5 Mya.
Oddly enough, there is an unconformity between the Eocene and Miocene. There was apparently little or no coral growth during the Oligocene, a period of global cooling and falling sea level.
Cenozoic temperature change. Funny how the PETM is often cited as a nightmarish version of a real-world RCP8.5… While the warmer EECO is a climatic optimum. (Zachos et al., 2001)
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wattsupwiththat--2020-11-27--Richard Branson Launches a New Climate Action Coalition

Billionaire Richard Branson appears to be attempting to build his presence as a major global influencer on climate policy , but his new climate change club does not appear to have a lot of direct financial support .
The CEOs of 22 of Australia ’ s biggest companies , including BHP , Commonwealth Bank of Australia , AGL , Rio Tinto and Wesfarmers , have joined forces to collaborate on ways to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement .
The Climate Leaders Coalition is driven by Lynette Mayne , head of the Australian branch of British businessman Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiative , which attempts to embed more socially and environmentally aware thinking in business decision making .
B-Team Australasia previously drove the “ Future of Work ” initiative , headed by David Gonski , which brought CEOs together to attempt to mitigate the potentially damaging effects of automation and digitisation of work while embracing the progress they represent .
Not much money is going into the initiative , with companies paying only $ 3000 to be members .
But Ms Mayne , who modelled the idea on a similar initiative in New Zealand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to bold projects and initiatives that would have a practical effect on emissions .
Branson ’ s relationship with the climate community has sometimes been troubled .
The fact Branson founded a major multinational airline is frequently thrown in his face when he tries to burnish his green credentials , along with the occasional accusation from greens that Branson ’ s commitment of money does not match his words of support .
Richard Branson also made a very unflattering appearance in Michael Moore ’ s blockbuster eco-flick “ Planet of the Humans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest Branson climate initiative does not appear to be backed by very much money .

Richard Branson and Al Gore
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Billionaire Richard Branson appears to be attempting to build his presence as a major global influencer on climate policy, but his new climate change club does not appear to have a lot of direct financial support.
Top CEOs form exclusive climate change club James Fernyhough
ReporterNov 25, 2020 – 4.58pm The CEOs of 22 of Australia’s biggest companies, including BHP, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, AGL, Rio Tinto and Wesfarmers, have joined forces to collaborate on ways to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. The Climate Leaders Coalition is driven by Lynette Mayne, head of the Australian branch of British businessman Richard Branson’s “B Team” initiative, which attempts to embed more socially and environmentally aware thinking in business decision making. B-Team Australasia previously drove the “Future of Work” initiative, headed by David Gonski, which brought CEOs together to attempt to mitigate the potentially damaging effects of automation and digitisation of work while embracing the progress they represent. … Not much money is going into the initiative, with companies paying only $3000 to be members. But Ms Mayne, who modelled the idea on a similar initiative in New Zealand, said she hoped the coalition would lead to bold projects and initiatives that would have a practical effect on emissions. … Read more: https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/top-ceos-form-exclusive-climate-change-club-20201125-p56hvo
Branson’s relationship with the climate community has sometimes been troubled. The fact Branson founded a major multinational airline is frequently thrown in his face when he tries to burnish his green credentials, along with the occasional accusation from greens that Branson’s commitment of money does not match his words of support.
Richard Branson also made a very unflattering appearance in Michael Moore’s blockbuster eco-flick “Planet of the Humans”.
It is intriguing that this latest Branson climate initiative does not appear to be backed by very much money.
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