2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #21
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 17 through Sat, May 23, 2020
Editor's Choice
More than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areas
A man salvages items from his house damaged by Cyclone Amphan in Midnapore, West Bengal, on May 21, 2020.
More than 80 people have been killed and thousands more left homeless after Cyclone Amphan slammed into coastal towns and cities in India and Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities are now racing to provide relief efforts in communities already stricken by the coronavirus, hampered in many areas by heavy rains and fallen debris that has made roads impassible.
Large-scale evacuation efforts appear to have saved many lives, but it could take days to realize the full extent of the deaths, injuries and damage from the cyclone.
Amphan — which was the most powerful cyclone ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal before it weakened — ripped apart homes, tore down trees, washed away bridges and left large predominately rural areas without power or communications.
"I have never seen such disaster," Banerjee told reporters. "All areas have faced destruction. Nothing is left."
In neighboring Bangladesh, 10 people have been confirmed dead, according to the governmental Health Emergency Operations Center. Among those killed was a 57-year-old Red Crescent volunteer in Barisal who drowned when attempting to help others to safety, the Red Crescent Society of Bangladesh said.
More than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areas by Prema Rajaram, Manveena Suri, Esha Mitra, Helen Regan and Vedika Sud, CNN, May 21, 2020
Articles Linked to on Facebook
Sun, May 17, 2020
- Q&A: Could climate change and biodiversity loss raise the risk of pandemics? by Daisy Dunne, Carbon Brief, May 15, 2020
- Indonesia backs off timber rule change after deforestation fears by Harry Jacques, Thomson Reuters Foundation, May 15, 2020
- Our Greener, Climate-Friendly Future Is Going to Be Amazing—It's Our Job to Tell That Story by Jamie Henn, Common Dreams, May 15, 2020
- Climate change is looming. But America has lost 600,000 clean energy jobs by Sammy Roth, Climate & Environment, Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2020
- Cyclone Amphan is Intensifying as a Serious Storm Surge, Heavy Rain and Wind Threat to India, Bangladesh by Linda Lam, Hurricane Central, The Weather Channel, May 17, 2020
- The Largest Arctic Science Expedition in History Finds Itself on Increasingly Thin Ice by Michael Kodas, InsideClimate News, May 17, 2020
- Boiling Point: Giant batteries are changing everything for clean energy by Sammy Roth, Climate & Environment, Los Angeles Times, May 14, 2020
- John Houghton (1931–2020), Obituary by Katharine Hayhoe & Donald Wuebbels, Nature, May 15, 2020
Mon, May 18, 2020
- Climate change threatens Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge by Mike Taibbi PBS NewsHour Weekend, May 16, 2020
- Climate explained: what caused major climate change in the past? by James Renwick, The Conversation NZ, May 12, 2020
- No silver lining: The COVID-19 pandemic won't slow climate change by Daniel Grossman, Yale Climate Connections, May 18, 2020
- India and Bangladesh are already suffering with coronavirus. Now a super cyclone is heading their way by Swati Gupta & Joshua Berlinger, CNN, May 18, 2020
- After the Covid-19 crisis, will we get a greener world? by Gaia Vince, Environment, Observer/Guardian, May 17, 2020
- How To Talk Science With Policymakers—From Coronavirus To Climate Change by Joan Michelson, Forbes, May 18, 2020
Tue, May 19, 2020
- Dust bowl conditions of 1930s US now more than twice as likely to reoccur by Fiona Harvey, Environment, Guardian, May 18, 2020
- Global coalition of 42 faith institutions divest from fossil fuels, Bright Now, May 18, 2020
- Australia’s most senior former public servants and scientists reveal their anger about climate policy failure by Michael Brissenden, Four Corners, ABC News (AU), May 18, 2020
- Tropical Cyclone Amphan to Strike India and Bangladesh With Major Storm Surge, Damaging Winds and Flooding Rainfall, Hurricane Central, The Weather Channel, May 19, 2020
- Americans See Climate as a Concern, Even Amid Coronavirus Crisis by John Schwartz, Climate, New York Times, May 19, 2020
- New Study Shows Global Warming Increasing Frequency of the Most-Destructive Tropical Storms by Bob Berwyn, InsideClimate News, May 19, 2020
- COVID-19 Could Permanently Transform Transportation by Rob Jackson, Corinne Le Quéré, Pep Canadell, Pierre Friedlingstein, Glen Peters, Observations, Scientific American, May 19, 2020
- The sun is experiencing a less active phase called 'solar minimum,' but it won't cause an ice age by Ashley Strickland, CNN, May 19, 2020
Wed, May 20, 2020
- Fuel savings in US cars have ‘cut 17bn tonnes of CO2 since 1975 by Josh Gabbatiss, Carbon Brief, May 19, 2020
- New Zealand’s COVID-19 budget delivers on one crisis, but largely leaves climate change for another day by David Hall, The Conversation NZ, May 15, 2020
- Tens of thousands evacuated as India, Bangladesh brace for super cyclone by Subrata Nagchoudhry Ruma Paul, Reuters, May 19, 2020
- British supermarkets threaten Brazil boycott over proposed forest law by Matthew Green & Jake Spring, Reuters, My 19, 2020
- Amphan: Cyclone wreaks deadly havoc in India and Bangladesh, BBC News, May 20, 2020
- Climate change turning Antarctica's snow green by Martyn Herman, Reuters, May 20, 2020
- Daily global CO2 emissions ‘cut to 2006 levels’ during height of coronavirus crisis by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, May 19, 2020
- April 2020: Earth’s 2nd Warmest April on Record, Opinion by Jeff Masters, Eye of the Storm, Scientific American, May 13, 2020
Thu, May 21, 2020
- Why China and India shouldn't let coronavirus justify walking back climate action by Helen Regan, CNN Business, May 20, 2020
- Spain unveils climate law to cut emissions to net zero by 2050 by Chloé Farand, Climate Home News, May 18, 2020
- EU plans to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030 for biodiversity by Chloé Farand, Climate Home News, May 20, 2020
- More than 80 killed in India and Bangladesh as Cyclone Amphan heaps misery on coronavirus-hit areas by Prema Rajaram, Manveena Suri, Esha Mitra, Helen Regan and Vedika Sud, CNN, May 21, 2020
- Forget about climate change. The real story is climate speed., Special Report by Tony Bartelme, Rising Waters, The Post & Courier (Charleston, SC), May 21, 2020
- Tiny plankton drive processes in the ocean that capture twice as much carbon as scientists thought by Ken Buesseler, Environment & Energy, The Conversation US, May 21, 2020
- Can South Florida’s climate change adaptation programs survive coronavirus costs? by Alex Harris, Environment, Miami Herald, May 20, 2020
Fri, May 22, 2020
- Tropical forests soak up huge amounts of greenhouse gas. Climate change could end that by Elizabeth Pennisi, Science Magazine, May 21, 2020
- Indigenous knowledge critical to addressing climate change by Staff, WACC (World Association for Christian Communication), May 20, 2020
- Why some spots on the planet are heating up faster than others by Sarah Kaplan, Climate Curious, Washington Post, May 20, 2020
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #20, 2020 by Doug Bostrom, Skeptical Science, May 20, 2020
- NOAA predicts Atlantic hurricane season will be unusually active by Andrew Freedman, Capital Weather Gang, Washington Post, May 21, 2020
- ‘Expect More’: Climate Change Raises Risk of Dam Failures by Henry Fountain, Climate New York Times, May 21, 2020
- New York’s Use of Landmark Climate Law Could Resound in Other States by Kristoffer Tigue, InsideClimate News, May 22, 2020
- Tom Rivett-Carnac: How Can We Shift Our Mindset To Fight Climate Change Together?, TED Radio Hour, NPR, May 22, 2020
Sat, May 23, 2020
- As ‘normal’ crumbles, young people are turning their grief into action, Opinion by Margaret Klein Salamon, Grist, May 22, 2020
- Denmark proposes two huge ‘energy islands’ to meet 2030 climate target by Chloé Farand, Climate Home News, May 20, 2020
- We now have the proof: greening the economy doesn't come at the price of prosperity, Opinion by Fiona Harvey, Comment is Free, Guardian, May 22, 2020
- Fixed for Failure: How flood insurance keeps dangerous homes standing in SC by Stephen Hobbs & Chloe Johnson, Water Rising, The Post & Courier, (Charleston, SC), May 20, 2020
- Cyclone Amphan leaves thousands homeless in eastern India, Modi offers help by Subrata Nagchoudhary & Ruma Paul, Reuters, May 22, 2020
- Miami’s fight against rising seas by Amanda Ruggeri, Future, BBC News, May 22, 2020
- Take stock of your mental health during the pandemic (and what to do next) by Sandee LaMotte, CNN, May 22, 2020
- 'Digital twins' can help create healthier cities after coronavirus by Rina Chandran, Thomson Reuters Foundation, May 22, 2020
Posted by John Hartz on Saturday, 23 May, 2020
