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If even oil companies accept human-caused global warming, why doesn’t everybody?
In a California court case this week, Judge William Alsup asked the two sides to provide him a climate science tutorial.
The plaintiffs are the coastal cities of San Francisco and Oakland. They’re suing five major oil companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips and BP) to pay for the cities’ costs to cope with the sea level rise caused by global warming. Chevron’s lawyer presented the science for the defense, and most notably, began by explicitly accepting the expert consensus on human-caused global warming, saying:
From Chevron’s perspective, there is no debate about the science of climate change
Chevron’s first slide quotes #IPCC: “It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.” Says there is no debate on this consensus. #climatetutorial #climateliability
Those who decide to start smoking or continue smoking should assume responsibility for a choice they make -- because no one can say they don’t know about the dangers associated with smoking
Continue reading...Bravo, Mark Boyle – your world sounds very beguiling to an oldie like me (I left a troubled world behind. Now let me tell you how to fix it, 20 March). However, I’ve lost count of the number of times in my life that I have heard this siren song, but no one with any influence ever seems to listen or even wake up. But, as Mark says, we can try small remedies ourselves should we be lucky enough to have a garden. It reminds me of an old Canadian friend who was convinced he could protect his family from the coming apocalypse by buying a farm, until he realised he’d have to have a gun – and use it – to stop those less fortunate from taking what he had. Or the 1970s German bumper sticker that translated as “everyone wants to go back to Eden but no one wants to go on foot”.Linda MarriottNorth Hykeham, Lincolnshire
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Continue reading...NSW will need extra generation capacity unless AGL rolls out all three stages of its transition
Australia’s energy market operator says an additional 850 megawatts of dispatchable generation capacity will be needed in New South Wales after the closure of the ageing Liddell power plant if AGL Energy fails to complete all three stages of its transition plan.
Last December AGL confirmed it would close Liddell in 2022 and replace the coal plant with a mix of renewables, gas power for peak periods and battery storage.
Related: Replacing Liddell coal plant with clean energy $1.3bn cheaper – analysis
Related: Turnbull's national energy guarantee a step closer after Jay Weatherill's exit
Continue reading...Courtroom showdown in San Francisco pitted liberal cities against oil corporations, and saw judge host unusual climate ‘tutorial’
The science of climate change was on trial on Wednesday when leading experts testified about the threats of global warming in a US court while a fossil fuel industry lawyer fighting a high-profile lawsuit sought to deflect blame for rising sea levels.
The hearing was part of a courtroom showdown between liberal California cities and powerful oil corporations, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and BP. San Francisco and Oakland have sued the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies, arguing that they are responsible for damages related to global warming.
Related: A judge asks basic questions about climate change. We answer them
Related: Can climate litigation save the world?
Continue reading...Uneven ice that scatters sonar tests the US and British navies during ICEX military exercises
The attack submarine HMS Trenchant has joined US submarines in the Arctic for ICEX 2018, military exercises involving practice with dummy torpedo attacks and navigation and surfacing through the ice cover. The sea ice provides almost perfect concealment for submarines but brings problems too.
While the upper surface of the ice is smooth the underside is ridged with keels extending downwards for many metres and creating a dangerous collision hazard.
Continue reading...Farmers and others in Mildura region are warning trees could be left to wither and die
A huge expansion of irrigated crops in the Mildura region of the lower Murray is threatening to overtake the water available in the river, and has set the scene for a disaster if drought conditions return.
A 16-day heatwave that hit the region this summer exposed the vulnerability of the Sunraysia and western New South Wales regions. During that time, the Murray-Darling basin’s water managers scrambled to meet demand, as the region experienced a run of days over 35C between 16 and 29 January.
There is no real sense of what water is truly available.
Related: After 20 years of uneasy peace, the forest wars are back
Related: Wombats, sharks, possums, frogs: Australia's animals at risk of extinction – interactive
Continue reading...In wake of Guardian Australia report, Penny Sharpe says regional forest agreements must include climate change as a consideration
NSW Labor has demanded that climate change be on the table as part of a full scientific assessment of the state’s regional forest agreements (RFAs), which are set to expire over the next two years.
Penny Sharpe, opposition environment spokeswoman, said NSW Labor would not sign off on proposed extensions because the government “knows the science underpinning the RFAs is out of date and incomplete”.
Related: Exclusive: legal concerns over plan to roll over forestry agreements without reviews
Continue reading...We want to hear from people around the world switching things off and getting involved in Earth Hour 2018
Global organisers of Earth Hour, a grass roots movement for the environment asking people to switch off electricity for an hour on 24 March, say they hope to energise millions of people and that “every action counts”.
Continue reading...PM phones Michael Gunner after lack of contact with Northern Territory contrasted with Monday’s visit to bushfire-ravaged town of Tathra
Malcolm Turnbull has sent his thoughts to Darwin, in a phone call to the chief minister five days after Cyclone Marcus tore through the city.
The prime minister contacted the Northern Territory chief minister, Michael Gunner, on Wednesday morning, speaking for about three to four minutes. They mainly discussed the federally funded Australian defence force personnel based in Darwin helping out with the cyclone recovery.
Related: Cyclone Marcus leaves tens of thousands in Darwin without power or drinkable water
This morning I visited Parap Primary (open) & pre school (closed power trees). There are still several thousand customers without power. @PowerWaterCorp crews working incredibly hard & remaining tasks are difficult. The PM this morning passed his thoughts on to all #cyclonemarcus pic.twitter.com/JMpXNrGoNo
Related: Patience wears thin for Tathra residents as they wait to return to bushfire-ravaged town
Continue reading...California judge William Alsup put out a list of questions for a climate change ‘tutorial’ in a global warming case
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