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2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51
Posted on 17 December 2016 by John Hartz
A chronological listing of the news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week.
Sun Dec 11, 2016
- Trump team wants 'lists' of Energy Department climate researchers by Andrew Freedman, Mashable, Dec 9, 2016
- Trump's EPA Pick Worries Renewable Fuel Proponents by Georgina Gustin, InsideClimate News, Dec 9, 2016
- Climate Change Denial And The Rise Of Authoritarianism by Ralf Michaels, Huffington Post, Dec 10, 2016
- Trump says ‘nobody really knows’ if climate change is real by Juliet Elperin, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 11, 2016
- If Trump wants to dismantle Obama’s EPA rules, here are all the obstacles he’ll face by Brad Plumer, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 8, 2016
- Record low volume highlights exceptional year for Arctic sea ice, Carbon Brief, Dec 7, 2016
- The Rockefeller Family Fund Takes on ExxonMobil by David Kaiser and Lee Wasserman, The New York Review of Books, Dec 22, 2016 Print Edition
Mon Dec 12, 2016
- In Vancouver, 50% of trips are by foot, bike, or transit. This video shows how they did it. by David Roberts, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 9, 2016
- Al Gore’s new climate change movie arrives just in time by Ellen McCarthy, Arts & Entertainment, Washington Post, Dec 10, 2016
- Antarctica: Australian scientists prepare to unveil 'holy grail of climate change' amid $45m funding boost by Jane Norman, ABC News, Dec 12, 2016
- On climate change, angels and demons are battling over Trump’s soul by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Dec 12, 2016
- Investment Funds Worth Trillions Are Dropping Fossil Fuel Stocks by John Schwartz, New York Times, Dec 12, 2016
- Faith leaders urge sovereign wealth, pension funds to halt investments in fossil fuels by Chinedum Uwaegbulam, The Guardian (Nigeria), Dec 12, 2016
- Does Connecticut's Green Bank Hold the Secret to the Future of Clean Energy? by Jan Ellen Spiegel, InsideClimate News, Dec 12, 2016
- Rapid rise in methane emissions in 10 years surprises scientists by Fiona Harvey, The Guardian, Dec 12, 2016
Tue Dec 13, 2016
- Trump's transition: sceptics guide every agency dealing with climate change by Oliver Milman, Guardian, Dec 12, 2016
- Climate Denier David Does It Again by Tamino, Open Mind, Dec 12, 2016
- Bill Gates Leads New Fund as Fears of U.S. Retreat on Climate Grow by Hiroko Tabuchi & Henry Fountain, Energy & Environment, New York Times, Dec 12, 2016
- Mountain glaciers are showing some of the strongest responses to climate change by Hannah Hickey, UW (University of Washington) Today, Dec 12, 2016
- Oil prices keep rising after Russia joins OPEC’s big deal to cut production by Brad Plumer, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 13, 2016
- Energy Dept. rejects Trump’s request to name climate change workers, who remain worried by Joe Davidson, Federal Insider, Washington Post, Dec 13, 2016
- The Arctic just had its warmest year on record ‘by far,’ scientists report by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washingto Post, Dec 13, 2016
- Endangered Science: Why Global Warming Emissions Are Covered by the Clean Air Act by Rachel Cleetus, Union of Concerned Scientists, Dec 12, 2016
- Trump Picks Energy Department Opponent Rick Perry for Energy Secretary: Sources by Hallie Jackson & Kristen Welker, NBC News, Dec 13, 2016
- Trump's Election Leaves Scientists In A Climate Of Uncertainty by Christopher Joyce, NPR, Dec 13, 2016
Wed Dec 14, 2016
- Climate Change Won’t Stop in 2016, Despite Misleading Report by Bob Henson & Jeff Masters, WunderBlog, Weather Underground, Dec 6, 2016
- Evangelicals are more skeptical of evolution than of climate change by Amy McCaig, Rice University News, Dec 13, 2016
- Scientists are frantically copying U.S. climate data, fearing it might vanish under Trump by Brady Dennis, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 13, 2016
- These are the climate myths guiding Trump’s EPA team by Chelsea Harvey, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 13, 2016
- Exclusive: If Trump skews science, researchers must raise the alarm - Obama official by Patrick Rucker, Reuters, Dec 14, 2016
- Churches step up action on climate change by Gavin Drake, Angleican Communion News Service (ACNS), Dec 13, 2016
- Germany Sets High Bar for G20 Summit in July, Trump’s First Meeting with Global Leaders by Lawrence MacDonald, World Resources Institute (WRI), Dec 9, 2016
- Geophysical Union scientists protest Trump appointments by Lizzie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle, Dec 13, 2016
- Rex Tillerson’s view of climate change: It’s just an ‘engineering problem’ by Chris Mooney, Energy & Envronment, Washington Post, Dec 13, 2016
- Trump Adviser: Global Warming Could Be Disproven Just Like Flat Earth Theory (VIDEO) by Matt Shuham, TPM, Dec 14, 2016
- Trump team disavows survey seeking names of climate workers by
- IEA: China’s new coal plants make ‘no economic sense’ by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, Dec 12, 2016
Thu Dec 15, 2016
- Oceanographers offer clues to Malaysian airlines crash by John Abraham, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Dec 14, 2016
- Jane Fonda targets Trump over climate and inequality: 'A boy in the bully pulpit' by Joanna Walters, Guardian, Dec 12, 2016
- From Obama’s Top Scientist, Words of Caution on Climate by Elizabeth Kolbert, Yale Environment 360, Dec 8, 2016
- The Climate Impacts of Trump’s ExxonMobil Pick for State by John Upton, Climate Central, Dec 13, 2016
- Jerry Brown strikes defiant tone: ‘California will launch its own damn satellite’ by Christopher Cadelago, Sacramento Bee, Dec 14, 2016
- Climate Denial Rides Trump's Coattails to a Roaring Comeback by Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News, Dec 15, 2016
- NOAA Issues 'Jaw-Dropping' Assessment on 'Unprecedented' Arctic Warming by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams, Dec 14, 2016
- Here is the worst defense of climate change skepticism that you will ever see by Philip Bump, The Fix, Washington Post, Dec 14, 2016
- Climate Risk Experts: Transparency Should Be Fossil Fuel Companies' New Normal by John H Cushman Jr. InsideClimate News, Dec 15, 2016
- California to Regulate Energy Use of Desktop Computers and Monitors by Tatiana Schlossberg, New York Times, Dec 15, 2016
- Climate scientists adjust as Trump builds team of oil allies by Peter Henderson, Reuters, Dec 15, 2016
Fri Dec 16, 2016
- After an uproar, Trump’s team has disavowed its controversial climate questionnaire by Brad Plumer, Energy & Environment, Vox, Dec 14, 2016
- Donald Trump’s Aide at EPA Myron Ebell Meets with Who’s Who of Climate Science Deniers by Graham Readfearn, DeSmog, Dec 13, 2016
- Rick Perry, Trump's Energy Pick, on Climate Change: 'One Contrived Phony Mess' by Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News, Dec 15, 2016
- ANALYSIS-U.S. wind power enjoys a rebirth as solar's obstacles mount by Nichola Groom, Reuters, Dec 15, 2016
- Donald Trump Should Know: This Is What Climate Change Costs Us, Opinion by Michael Greenstone & Cass R Sunstein, New York Times, Dec 15, 2016
- Scientists are tying more and more extreme events to a changing climate by Chelsea Harvey, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 16, 2016
- This is not normal – climate researchers take to the streets to protect science by Dana Nuccitelli, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Dec 16, 2016
- Climate change denial in the Trump cabinet: where do his nominees stand? by Mazin Sidahmed, Guardian, Dec 15, 2016
- Agriculture Eyed as Culprit in Global Methane Emissions Spike by Georgina Gustin, InsideClimate News, Dec 16, 2016
- Trump Rejects Climate Change, but Mar-a-Lago Could Be Lost to the Sea by Michael Smith & John Levin, Bloomberg News, Dec 16, 2016
- Scientists confirm that warm ocean water is melting the biggest glacier in East Antarctica by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Dec 16, 2016
Sat Dec 17, 2016
- Green Climate Fund misses 2016 target as US donation in doubt by Megan Darby, Climate Home, Dec 16, 2016
- Inside the largest Earth science event: 'The time has never been more urgent' by Alan Yuhas, Guardian, Dec 15, 2016
- India to halt building new coal plants in 2022 by Karl Mathiesen, Climate Home, Dec 16, 2016
- Analysis: What Trump — and his cabinet — get wrong on climate by John Sutter, CNN, Dec 16, 2016
- World Energy Hits a Turning Point: Solar That's Cheaper Than Wind by Tom Randall, Bloomberg News, Dec 15, 2016
- If You Want To See How Donald Trump Will Destroy the Environment, Read this Legislative Roadmap by Sharon Lerner, The Intercept, Dec 15, 2016
- We Need to Accept That Oil Is a Dying Industry by Nafeez Ahmed, Motherboard, Dec 15, 2016
- Conservatives can be convinced to fight climate change with a specific kind of language by Neha Thirani Bagri, Quartz, Dec 17, 2016
Low Arctic ice recovery.
In the fall and early winter is when the first indications of things to come should be apparent and it looks like this year that is what is happening. You have the mother of all off shore evening winds as the land rapidly cools off while the ocean is a reservoir of heat accumulated in the ever more open water. The difference is that this offshore wind should continue day and night and be continued as latent hear is released from freezing sea water. It should suck warmer air from the south to further slow the refreeze. As this effect gains strength, it should suck air from ever further south until you have a reversed Hadley cell and a two cell system in the northern hemisphere. With air flowing from the land to the sea Coriolis causes a counter clockwise circulation over the Arctic Ocean which will push a counter clockwise sea circulation. In such gyres, to the right is away from the centre so ice and the fresher surface layer will be expelled from the Arctic thinning the layer. Waves, with their longer fetch working on this thinner layer will mix the salty warmer deep water into the surface, further decreasing ice formation in the winter and thawing in the summer.