Climate Change

The atmosphere and the ocean are like the frost on a beer mug

William Shatner’s short journey into space on October 13, 2021 left him blown away by the “thin blue line” that demarks the atmosphere from the blackness of space. His perception is critical to understanding the human dilemma of how we see ourselves in relation to the planet. Because we are biological creatures, we innately see the world as something big. The ocean is huge. Space is far away. We cannot easily perceive ourselves as a species of more than seven billion people and growing larger. What Shatner saw was that the very atmosphere we depend on is unimaginably thin. The top of the breathable atmosphere can be described as the top of Mount Everest at 29,032 feet high (5.49 miles). Likewise, the ocean, which holds most of the water on the planet, is at its deepest point in the Mariana Trench 36,201 feet deep (6.85 miles), another thin blue line. Relative to the size of the planet, the atmosphere and the ocean are about as thick as the frost on a beer mug pulled out of the freezer. Thank you, Captain Kirk, for telling us that we need to address this dilemma of seeing the atmosphere and the ocean as very large when in reality they are very small and can be destroyed by a population of seven billion humans.

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Sea level rise maps visualize possible outcomes

Sea level rise is a known outcome of climate change, and now there are two ways to visualize the possible impacts. NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer uses a slider to show the possible change to U.S. coastlines using estimated change in feet. Climate Central Coastal Risk Screening Tool has a similar slider that allows you to change the estimate of sea level rise in global coastlines by changing degrees of warming. Climate Central also has a visualizer showing image of what rising waters might look like in cities around the world.

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Los Angeles Using Reflective Streets to Beat the Heat

According to an October 13, 2021, story in Next City, Los Angeles is painting some of its streets with a white reflective paint which cools the pavement by approximately 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. More impressive is the fact that it cools the surrounding locations by two degrees, on average, enough to be seen by a thermal imaging satellite.

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Explosive growth of cities driving extreme heat

Even while Los Angeles is cooling its streets, an article in the October 4, 2021, issue of Science reports that “extreme heat is exposing people in big cities to potentially deadly temperatures three times more often than it did in the 1980s.” The story indicates that an “increase in heat exposure in a city can come from two sources: rising temperatures, or a growing population that means more people are enduring the hot weather.” The study on which the story was based doesn’t distinguish between climate change and the ways cities trap heat more than surrounding rural areas.

The Political Divide

Prominent Republicans want to reclaim their party

A New York Times opinion on October 11, 2021, by Republicans Miles Taylor and former New Jersey Governor and USEPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman shows a different kind of divide, this one between Republicans. They argue that “the most credible solution for them to reclaim their Republican Party is to collaborate with Democrats to block mini-Trumps from getting a toehold in state and local elections next year.” They acknowledge that they have “spent years battling the left about government’s role in society … but we agree on something more foundational — democracy.”

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Fake news empire builder tells the inside story

There is little doubt that much of the “news” that circulates on social media is inaccurate or just false. Now, one of the people who controlled the dissemination of a significant source of fake news has told his story in an October 14, 2021, article in Wired. Although his ethics are less than admirable, his inside story about how one guy looking for a job built a fake news empire provides fascinating insight into how his work and that of others became a wedge in increasing the political divide.

The Future of Work / The Economy

“As companies start to focus more on long-term shareholder value creation, it becomes increasingly clear that purpose is part of that journey. And purpose means recognizing the interests and needs and responsibilities to other stakeholders. And climate quickly rises to the top of the list because it touches everyone in very tangible ways.”

—Rich Lesser, Global Chair, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

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Energy shortages and shifts threaten production and climate goals

A number of stories in recent weeks have outlined challenges to the global energy supply. Fortune, on October 8, 2021, reported that “India looks set to be the next country to enter an energy crisis, with coal reserves running out at many power plants.” The Wall Street Journal on October 11, 2021, said that “traders expect oil and natural-gas production will be limited by a global push to lower emissions and a scramble to secure supplies.” Oil prices are now more than $80/barrel and natural gas is more costly because of supply shortages.

In another WSJ article on October 7, 2021, it was reported that there is a scramble to obtain natural gas supplies ahead of winter and that “tankers are being diverted and manufacturers are slowing production as countries and businesses battle to secure supply.” This is also changing demand for coal. PV Magazine, a solar industry publication, reports that the Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Outlook 2021 says “renewable resources—particularly solar and wind—will be the largest contributor to the growth in global electricity generation through 2050. It cautioned, however, that certain regions will still mainly use coal resources for electricity generation … The lack of regional carbon policies or regulations along with rising natural gas prices after 2030—particularly in Asia and in regions that rely on higher-cost liquefied natural gas (LNG)—are likely to make coal the most economical generation fuel to pair with increased generation from wind and solar.”

Yet another WSJ article on October 6, 2021, warned that “coal supply shortages are pushing prices for the fuel to record highs and laying bare the challenges to weaning the global economy off one of its most important—and polluting—energy sources.”

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Re-shoring from China could bring 100,000 new border jobs

It has been a mystery to me that more technology and other manufacturing companies don’t move their production from China and other Asian countries to Mexico. Mexico has high quality manufacturing, is adjacent to the U.S. and its many corporate headquarters, and provides labor at a relatively low cost. More importantly, according to the Wilson Institute, every U.S. dollar spent on production in China returns four cents to the U.S., and every dollar spent in Mexico returns forty cents. In an October 3, 2021, opinion in the Rio Grande Guardian by John Barela, the CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, he says a job landed in Mexico also creates one in Texas. He estimates re-shoring could bring 100,000 new jobs to the border region in the next few years.

The Nett Light-Side

Cornell bird cams are pretty great

If you like birds as much as I do, the these bird cams from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology will provide you with endless pleasure, at least when the birds are at home! WARNING: do not watch at work!

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Rodents the size of St. Bernards swarm gated community

This is not a science fiction story. The Wall Street Journal on October 10, 2021, reported that rodents the size of St. Bernards have been swarming an exclusive gated community in Argentina. They aren’t giant rats, they are capybaras, a type of guinea pig that can weigh as much as 140 pounds. Dueling social media communities, pro and con, are discussing the issue. Those who don’t like the capybaras think castration or relocation is the answer.

Nettleton Strategies — Helping People to Think

Carl Nettleton is an award-winning writer, acclaimed speaker, facilitator, and a subject-matter expert regarding water, climate, sustainability, the ocean, and binational U.S. Mexico border affairs. Founded in 2007, Nettleton Strategies is a trusted source of analysis and advice on issues at the forefront of public policy, business and the environment.