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Aisha Salaudeen and Robert Howell, CNN

2021-01-08 09:09:05

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africa

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/africa/nigeria-techpreneurs-african-startups-spc-intl/index.html

Nigeria's 'techpreneurs' are using technology to provide life-changing solutions - CNN

Meet the startup founders from Co-Creation Hub, Greymate Care and PiggyVest in Nigeria, who are helping people across the continent solve everyday problems through technology.

africa, Nigeria's 'techpreneurs' are using technology to provide life-changing solutions - CNN

Nigeria's 'techpreneurs' are using technology to provide life-changing solutions to everyday problems

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)As recently as 10 years ago, Africa's technology industry was sparse. But as a result of advancements in mobile phone technology as well as better internet connections, the continent has transformed -- unearthing countless innovators and entrepreneurs who make use of tech to solve everyday problems. Out of 1.3 billion Africans, there are 477 million unique mobile subscribers, with the mobile industry contributing $155 billion to the continent's GDP in 2019, according to data from the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSMA). Co-Creation Hub founder Bosun Tijani with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, during Dorsey's visit to Lagos, Nigeria in 2019.Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has 90 tech hubs -- the most on the continent. In 2019, one report found startups in Nigeria raised nearly $400 million, more than double the amount from the previous year.In recent years, the West African nation has become an incubator for some of the continent's biggest startups -- including online marketplace place Jumia and Andela, a talent accelerator. The result is a generation of tech entrepreneurs or "techpreneurs" whose startups and innovations are helping to improve the lives of people in Nigeria and beyond. Read MoreCNN spoke to three startup founders to understand how they are shaping the country's technology ecosystem. The innovation pioneerBosun Tijani, Co-Creation Hub founder & CEOBosun Tijani founded CcHUB in 2010.Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) is one of Africa's largest networks of tech talent, with a presence in Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda. Bosun Tijani, founder of the innovation center, told CNN that he started CcHUB to create a space for Africans to develop life-changing tech. Since its creation in 2010, it has served as a meeting place for innovators and entrepreneurs to share their plans and execute ideas, especially in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial center. "Science and technology can leapfrog development across Africa ... there are so many smart people on this continent, we just need to build a platform that will enable them to create," Tijani said. Through CcHUB, the entrepreneur has been able to provide tech startups with resources needed to grow their ideas into sustainable businesses.With 'Casablanca Not the Movie,' Moroccan photographer depicts the reality of his famous hometownBeginning in 2016, for example, through its 18-month incubation program, the hub helped provide the founder of Lifebank, a health logistics company in Nigeria, with a workspace, expert advice on how to incorporate tech into her business, and funding.But for Tijani, it is not just about supporting other techpreneurs. He recently launched STEM Cafe, a learning center in Lagos, where kids can dream up big ideas through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).There, children engage in a series of activities and informal sessions including coding challenges, computer games and prototyping with 3D printers."I want to build a generation of people in Africa with strong belief in science, people that are comfortable in science that can apply science to change things," Tijani said. The cafe, he said, does not use regular school curriculums -- instead, it applies a non-linear way of teaching that encourages kids to be creative and to innovate. "It's a free space, we don't judge ... what we want to achieve here is to build creative confidence in kids."The savings trailblazerOdunayo Eweniyi, PiggyVest co-founderOdunayo Eweniyi is one of the co-founders of fintech company PiggyVest. All over the world, women-led technology startups are in short supply.In Africa, only 9% of startups have women in leadership positions, according to data from 2016. But even these grim numbers can't deter Odunayo Eweniyi, co-founder and chief operating officer of PiggyVest, a financial technology company.Eweniyi told CNN that despite experiencing microaggressions as a woman in a male-dominated space, she is focused on her job -- teaching young people the value of their money by helping them save it. PiggyVest is an automated savings and investment platform that helps Nigerians put aside small amounts of money daily, weekly or monthly."We're targeting people that have smartphones and already have bank accounts. The ideal user of our platform would be young adults, mid-level professionals, not earning too much, not too little," Eweniyi explained.Esports is on the rise in Africa and these two Kenyans are leading the chargeIt works like a piggy bank but offers a variety of financial services, including investment options. According to Eweniyi, the company now has more than two million registered users.The entrepreneur was inspired to start PiggyVest in 2016 when one of her co-founders, Joshua Chibueze, came across a viral tweet of a woman who had saved 1000 naira ($2.62) in a wooden box every day for an entire year."Joshua, actually brought the tweet to our group chat, like 'Hey guys, is there a way we can innovate around this?' So, with some modifications, that night, we came up with a working prototype of the product," she explained. Now, four years after that initial prototype, PiggyVest has helped its users save over $250 million, according to Eweniyi. The health care prodigyChika Madubuko, Greymate Care co-founder & CEOChika Madubuko was inspired to start her health care company after a personal experience.Another sector in the Nigerian startup space where techpreneurs are changing the game is health care. In 2016, Chika Madubuko launched her health care technology company, Greymate Care, after a member of her family fell ill. The company provides on-demand care for vulnerable patients."Greymate Care was born out of personal pain, which was finding a caregiver for my grandmother when she was sick. It was pretty gruesome in my family then because my mom and sister would try to balance their own lives trying to move her between both houses, you know, trying to find a caregiver," Madubuko told CNN.JUST WATCHEDWatch the full episode: Nigeria's 'Techpreneurs' solving real-world problems with solution-based startupsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWatch the full episode: Nigeria's 'Techpreneurs' solving real-world problems with solution-based startups 22:48According to Madubuko, Greymate Care now manages over 1,000 caregivers, all of whom are trained in food hygiene, principal care, health and safety, and emergency first aid.It works as an online platform where patients in need of care can select the type of services they require and be matched with the appropriate caregivers.For Madubuko, Greymate Care's origins are personal. While studying at university in England, she volunteered in a hospital as a caregiver. "I learned to be a passionate and a very efficient caregiver," she said. "And today I tell people that I am the best person to run Greymate Care because I have been on the supply side where I was a caregiver and demand side where I needed care."

Rochelle Beighton and Rachel Wood, CNN

2020-03-19 09:31:33

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/world/namibia-saving-cheetahs-extinction/index.html

A lab in a remote Namibian city is saving the cheetah from extinction - CNN

Dubbed the cheetah capital of the world, Otjiwarongo, Namibia, is home to 1,400 wild cheetahs and the only cheetah genetics laboratory in Africa.

world, A lab in a remote Namibian city is saving the cheetah from extinction - CNN

A lab in a remote Namibian city is saving the cheetah from extinction

(CNN)Human conflict, loss of habitat and the illegal pet trade have all played a part in the cheetah's race to extinction. According to researchers, over a hundred years ago, 100,000 wild cheetahs roamed across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. But today the global population has dwindled to roughly just over 7,000. In the remote city of Otjiwarongo in Northern Namibia, scientists are working hard to restore the cheetah population through conservation science.Dubbed the cheetah capital of the world, the city is home to 1,400 wild cheetahs and the only cheetah genetics laboratory in Africa. It is run by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and it says it holds the world's largest wild cheetah database of biological material along with blood, tissue, semen and egg samples collected from over a thousand cheetahs. Read MoreKhayJay the cheetah ambassador restingIn 2007, CCF produced the first-ever in-vitro cheetah embryo using IVF in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and the University of California, Davis, USA.The scientists achieved this by recovering eggs from some of their captive cheetahs and inseminating them with sperm in their lab. The outcome was the first ever cheetah embryo to reach the stage prior to implementation. Understanding the cheetah Understanding a cheetah's genetic makeup has allowed conservation scientists to understand why the cheetah has declined dramatically in population. "We started realizing that this was a unique species," said Laurie Marker, who founded the Applied Biosystems Conservation Genetics Laboratory in Namibia. "Our early studies have identified everything you'd like to know about a cheetah."According to Marker, one of the biggest challenges cheetahs face is a low genetic diversity. She says because the population is so similar, an outbreak of disease could wipe them out entirely. The CCF's bank stores DNA extracted from various kinds of samples, such as scat (cheetah feces) and tissue. To find the samples, the CCF has a scat detection program that deploys scat-sniffing dogs to find cheetah scat in the field. "By using the scat-detection dogs, we can go out and we can find scat of the cheetahs and identify them individually," explained Marker. Once found, DNA is extracted by ecologists and studied using a gene sequencing machine. This process helps to obtain the genetic ID of individual cheetahs, to discover how many cheetahs are represented within the samples and to determine their gender and dietary habits.Dr Laurie Marker and her colleagues, Dr. Stephen J. O'Brien and Dr. Anne Schmidt-Kuentzel, taking biological samples from Chewbaaka the cheetah that were later used to map the cheetah genome. Marker says scat samples also provide information from other cheetahs throughout Africa, revealing even more about the makeup of the populations. "We're looking at where the cheetahs are throughout the continent," she said. "It was thought to be five sub-species up until a couple of years ago but due to genetics, we've been able to identify that there are really only four subspecies."Future farmers of Africa CCF also developed a human wildlife mitigation program in Namibia called Future Farmers of Africa, to prevent further decline in the cheetah population.Because 90 percent of cheetahs still live outside protected areas and alongside human communities, CCF says environmental education highlighting cheetah behavioral characteristics is crucial for farmers and cheetahs to live amongst each other safely. The CCF estimates that during the 1980s, livestock and game farmers removed nearly 10,000 cheetahs, halving the Namibian cheetah population.Livestock Guarding Dog protecting its herd from wild cheetahs in Namibia. For the last 25 years as part of Future Farmers of Africa program, Marker and her team have placed over 650 dogs with farmers across Namibia to scare away potential predators as part of a livestock guarding dog program involving locals. Marker says this program has changed people's attitudes towards cheetahs as well as reducing livestock loss from all predators by over 80 and up to 100 percent. "We've had close to 10,000 farmers go through the program," she said. "That number has grown and grown. Now we do those programs out in the villages, in the rural communities and it has been just amazing."

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-13 00:57:48

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/12/opinions/sutter-cop21-climate-reaction/index.html

COP21: Paris climate change deal is end of fossil fuels - CNN

The adoption of Saturday's "Paris Agreement" on climate change wasn't just wonky diplomacy; it was about saving lives.

COP21, Paris, Climate change, opinions, COP21: Paris climate change deal is end of fossil fuels - CNN

This is the end of fossil fuels

Story highlightsThe adoption of Saturday's "Paris Agreement" on climate change wasn't just wonky diplomacyJohn Sutter: For Selina Leem, an 18-year-old from the Marshall Islands, it was about survival CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Le Bourget, France (CNN)For Selina Leem, an 18-year-old from a tiny part of the Marshall Islands in the middle of the Pacific, the adoption of Saturday's "Paris Agreement" on climate change wasn't about wonky diplomacy. It was about the survival of her country."This agreement is for those of us whose identity, whose culture, whose ancestors, whose whole being is bound to their lands," she said in the final meeting of the COP21 summit of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. "This agreement should be ... a turning point for all of us."It should be -- and certainly is. In historic ways that are almost impossible to overstate. Read MoreSelina Leem at the COP21 summit in Paris.The Paris Agreement, which came out of two weeks often-sleepless negotiations at a conference center here in a Paris suburb, is just the type of blaring signal the world needs that the era of fossil fuels is coming to a rapid close. Countries around the world pledged to do the near-impossible -- limit warming "well below" 2 degrees, and below 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels if feasible. That basically requires the world to move rapidly toward 100% clean energy, producing zero net greenhouse gas emissions between about 2050 and 2080. It's truly a remarkable moment.Nearly 200 countries working together to avoid superdroughts, rising tides, dangerous floods, deadly heatwaves and other ills associated with run-amok global warming. And it happened in Paris, of all places, just one month after the terrorist attacks that killed 130 people.At COP21, countries came together to recognize "that our collective efforts are worth more than the sum of our individual actions," as COP21 President and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius put it. Those ambitions were started quite clearly in the Paris Agreement. And they also were printed, in a simpler, catchier form, on a button pinned to Leem's cardigan. The message there: "1.5 to stay alive." It's a simple way to say the Marshall Islands, her home country, could drown beneath rising seas if global temperatures are allowed to warm 2 degrees Celsius. How to help save the Marshall IslandsThe treaty alone won't save the islands. But it does get the world one huge step closer. "There are many leaders around the room who share with me this hope for saving our world," Leem planned to say in front of delegates Saturday night. Many countries that adopted the Paris Agreement likely did so for self-interested reasons, at least in part. China, for instance, which is the world's biggest polluter, has seen record smog in Beijing in the past week. The air there is making large cities unlivable. It also has the world's largest renewable energy market. So investment there makes sense for its economy.15 facts about sea level rise that should scare the s^*# out of youBut the magic of the agreement, to me, is that it also protects small, nowhere islands like those found in the distant Pacific Ocean. It surprised me and other observers that the tiny Marshall Islands emerged as a powerful moral voice, and high-stakes negotiator, at these talks. The country's foreign minister, Tony de Brum, helped rally support for the "High Ambition Coalition," a group of some 100 countries that sought to make the Paris agreement as ambitious as possible, including efforts to put the 1.5-Celsius target in the text. De Brum made his voice heard on Twitter as well as in negotiation rooms. "This is who who I am fighting for today," he wrote Saturday morning, attaching a photo of his 8-month old grandchild, who, he told me, is named Tibbok.My tenth grandchild. This is who who I am fighting for today. TdB #COP21 pic.twitter.com/ncGvZmq5qp— Tony de Brum (@MinisterTdB) December 12, 2015 De Brum wants Tibbok to have a future in the Marshall Islands. Wants the country to continue to exist. The child's name is Marshallese for "to stumble but not fall." The symbolism wasn't lost on me, or him. The world has tried its best to screw up climate change -- scuttling agreements like this many times in the past. But perhaps that was just us stumbling, though. The moral case for climate actionFinding our way to a cleaner future. Meet the 15-year-old kid who's suing Obama over climate changeNot everything is fixed because of Paris, to be sure. There are far too many climate skeptics with big megaphones in the United States, and far too little support for policies like carbon taxes, which actually would help green economies. Many countries still are funneling massive amounts of money into fossil fuel subsidies. And the climate action pledges that came about as part of this negotiation process only are expected to limit warming to 2.7 degrees. That's not enough to save the Marshall Islands. Not yet, at least.But the treaty also contains provisions for review, every five years starting from a meeting in 2018, and experts are optimistic countries will be able to ratchet up ambitions. Turning the corner from lofty goals to real policy will take steadfast dedication as well as a change in attitude. That's something Leem already has experience with. This teenager, who loves romance novels and world music, deleted several of her social media accounts, she told me, because she read that computer servers contribute to climate change. She gave up meat, except for fish, she said, because raising animals for agriculture pollutes. "It makes me feel better, like I'm contributing," she told me. I hope others will be inspired by her, and by the agreement in Paris. This is the moment the world dedicated itself to a liveable, clean-energy future. But it's going to take all of our efforts to actually make that dream a reality. Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-14 16:57:54

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/14/opinions/sutter-cop21-climate-5-things/index.html

COP21: We have a Paris climate agreement. Now what? - CNN

Climate change: CNN's John D. Sutter says the Paris agreement is historic and ambitious, but it must be met with forceful action on the national level.

opinions, COP21: We have a Paris climate agreement. Now what? - CNN

Hooray for the Paris climate agreement! Now what?

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Paris (CNN)"The end of the era of fossil fuels." "A victory for all of the planet and future generations." "A turning point for the world."It's hard to overstate the importance of what happened in Paris over the weekend: Ministers from 195 countries adopted by consensus a legally binding agreement to fight climate change. The Paris agreement aims to help the world abandon fossil fuels this century and, specifically, stop global warming "well below" 2 degrees Celsius and, if possible, below 1.5 degrees. Incredible, huh? Read MoreThis is truly a remarkable moment, especially since it occurred during what likely will be the hottest year on record, and was adopted with global consensus and in Paris, the site of terror attacks almost exactly one month ago. The accord, which came out of the COP21 meeting of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, has been years, if not decades, in the making. It's a bold signal to boardrooms and national capitals around the world: The era of fossil fuels is over, and we're moving toward cleaner (and safer and healthier) sources of energy fast. On Saturday, I was in Le Bourget, France, the site of the two-week negotiations, when the decision came in. People were screaming and hugging and banging on desks -- swapping espresso for beer. Politicians linked hands and swung them into the air, looking more like ecstatic cheerleaders than smart-suited diplomats. For many policy experts, this is the culmination of a life's work on climate change. So many other attempts at treaties like this have failed. That's worth celebrating.But no one is naive enough to think this treaty alone will "fix" climate change.On this point, even the text adopted in Paris is self-aware, noting the "significant gap" between countries' pledges and the goal of stopping warming short of 2 degrees. According to the UNFCCC's own analysis, the pollution-reduction pledges made by countries ahead of the Paris talks would allow the atmosphere to warm 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100.That's well beyond the 2-degree goal. It also would be catastrophic for the planet and for people, wiping low-lying islands off the map as seas continue to rise; pushing many plants and animals toward extinction; increasing the intensity of droughts, floods, heat waves and storms; and costing all of us a lot of money. The Paris agreement, then, would be most accurately described as a giant shove in the right direction. Nearly 200 countries agreed to a legally binding framework that commits them to upping their ambitions every five years, financing the transition to clean energy and continuing on this path. It doesn't bind countries, however, to meet their climate targets, and it also doesn't prescribe exactly how they should get there. There are no sanctions, for example, if China fails to meet its goal of peaking emissions by 2030 (there's evidence it actually will do even better than that, at least partly because air pollution has become an economic and public health crisis) or if the United States breaks its promise of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. The countries will be legally accountable to each other. But they must take bold action as individuals, too. Here are five actions that must follow the celebrations: 1. Ratify the Paris agreementFrench President François Hollande, right, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, second from left, and others celebrate.For the agreement to have legal force, it must be ratified by at least 55 of the 195 countries that adopted it without objection Saturday. Those 55 countries must represent at least 55% of all global-warming emissions. This is seen by many observers, including me, as a formality. There was broad consensus in support of this agreement and the message it sends about climate change. The Obama administration also argues the agreement can be ratified by an executive action, meaning it won't have to go before the U.S. Senate, where many members of the GOP majority are skeptics of climate science and resist action.That argument should hold, said Dan Bodansky of the Center for Law and Global Affairs at Arizona State University who has followed climate negotiations for decades. "It seems like this is the kind of agreement the president can join on his own," he said. The United Nations hopes to hold a formal signing ceremony in New York as soon as April.2. End fossil fuel subsidiesJUST WATCHEDThe town that stood up to coalReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThe town that stood up to coal 03:53Many of the 195 countries that adopted the Paris agreement actively are pumping money into dirty-energy industries when they're not standing in the international spotlight. Dropping those subsidies is something these countries can and should do immediately. Doing so would be a massive help as countries try to figure out how to limit carbon pollution. If 20 major countries abandoned their subsidies, global carbon dioxide emissions in those countries would decline nearly 11% by 2020, compared with a business-as-usual scenario, according to a recent report from the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Nordic Council of Ministers. If 30% of those funds were reinvested in clean energy, then emissions could be dropped 18% in the countries studied. Laura Merrill, a senior researcher who worked on the report, told me global emissions likely would drop at least 10% if all fossil fuels subsides were cut. "I think it is the elephant in the boardroom, really," she said. "It's about $500 billion (in subsidies) downstream to consumers and about $100 billion (in subsidies) upstream to producers. That's a huge amount of financing" that could be used for renewable energy.It's ironic at best that these massive subsidies continue in the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere while leaders pledge commitment to a climate accord.With oil and coal prices low, now is the right time to act.3. Put a global tax on carbon pollutionJUST WATCHEDPolman: Business must act on climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHPolman: Business must act on climate change 03:39Mention the word "tax" in just about any context in the United States, and you're bound to see people squirm. But a broad coalition of business-savvy groups, including the World Bank, Unilever and Exxon Mobil, argue that some form of a carbon tax or pricing system should be used to account for the costs of fossil fuel pollution. The reason is simple: Someone has to pay for the costs of carbon pollution, which include rising seas (threatening trillions in shoreline assets), more-intense droughts, air-pollution deaths and so on. The polluter should pay those costs, not the people and places affected by an unnatural increase in global surface and ocean temperatures. Plus, money from a carbon tax could be put into investments in clean energy and technology. About 40 countries and more than 20 cities and states have implemented some form of a carbon-pricing system, according to a 2014 report from the World Bank. China is planning a national cap-and-trade system and already has tested the concept in several pilot regions. The United States and others need to consider these policies soon. Once the rationale for this kind of tax becomes more accepted, it should be tried globally. 4. Work toward political consensusJUST WATCHEDOpinion: Common ground with climate skepticsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOpinion: Common ground with climate skeptics 03:23One of the most significant things about the Paris agreement is its symbolism: Nearly 200 countries agree we must take sweeping actions to address the climate crisis.That type of consensus needs to emerge within those nations as well. It clearly doesn't exist yet. Over the weekend, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly said the Paris agreement could be "shredded in 13 months" if a Republican is elected to the White House. Most of the leading Republican candidates for the U.S. presidency are climate skeptics, and most of the GOP candidates flunk climate science, according to a group of scientists The Associated Press assembled to analyze their public statements on this topic. (Jeb Bush did the best of the Republicans, but he only scored 64 of 100; the Democrats scored between 87 and 94 in terms of their accuracy.)Pointing fingers won't do any good. Somehow, we need to remove political divisions from this issue and come together to work for solutions. On my way to the U.N. talks in Paris, I stopped in Denmark, which has arguably the best climate policy in the world. No place is perfect, but there's general agreement among all parties in Denmark that greenhouse gas pollution must be reduced and that the government should help encourage that transition. The country already is powered 40% by electricity from wind, and aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.We have to move past the silly fights about science -- the science is clear that we're causing global warming and, in many ways, it's worse than we thought -- and focus on solutions.5. Invest in greener technologiesJUST WATCHEDTurning solar energy into liquid fuelReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTurning solar energy into liquid fuel 02:44The 1.5-degree target will essentially be impossible to achieve unless we develop new technologies to pull carbon out of the atmosphere. The World Bank estimates, for instance, that we're headed for 1.5 degrees of warming based only on existing pollution. We already have many, many technologies -- from wind to solar and geothermal -- that can help with the transition. Cutting back on the energy we use matters, too. But given the scale of the transition required, it also is crucial that we listen to Bill Gates and other technologists who say we must make big bets on new clean-energy technologies. There are signs that's already happening. Gates was here in Le Bourget to announce an investment group that will put billions into clean-energy research. The Paris agreement is truly a watershed moment in the world's fight against climate change. It creates a legally binding framework for progress, and that's fundamentally new. But grand ambitions also must be met with concrete action. Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, Joshua Berlinger and Ralph Ellis, CNN

2015-12-12 06:06:23

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/12/world/global-climate-change-conference-vote/index.html

COP21: Obama praises Paris climate change agreement - CNN

U.S. President Barack Obama praised a landmark climate change agreement approved Saturday in Paris, saying it could be "a turning point for the world."

cop21, climate change, paris, world, COP21: Obama praises Paris climate change agreement - CNN

Obama: Climate agreement 'best chance we have' to save the planet

Story highlights "I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world," Obama saysThe final draft of the agreement reached at the Paris climate talks has been acceptedScientists and environmental activists respond with cautious optimismParis (CNN)President Barack Obama praised a landmark climate change agreement approved Saturday in Paris, saying it could be "a turning point for the world.""The Paris agreement establishes the enduring framework the world needs to solve the climate crisis," the President said, speaking from the White House. "It creates the mechanism, the architecture, for us to continually tackle this problem in an effective way."He praised American leadership but noted that all participating nations will have to cooperate."I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world," Obama said, calling the agreement "the best chance we have to save the one planet that we've got."Though the plan was hailed as a milestone in the battle to keep Earth hospitable to human life, critics say it is short on specifics, such as how the plan will be enforced or how improvements will be measured. Read MoreThe accord achieved one major goal. It limits average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial temperatures and strives for a limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) if possible. Some major points not addressedThe agreement, put together at the 21st Conference of Parties, or COP21, doesn't mandate exactly how much each country must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.Rather, it sets up a bottom-up system in which each country sets its own goal -- which the agreement calls a "nationally determined contribution" -- and then must explain how it plans to reach that objective. Those pledges must be increased over time, and starting in 2018 each country will have to submit new plans every five years.Many countries actually submitted their new plans before climate change conference, known as COP21, started last month -- but those pledges aren't enough to keep warming below the 2-degree target. But the participants' hope is that over time, countries will aim for more ambitious goals and ratchet up their commitments.Another sticking point has been coming up with a way to punish nations that don't do their part, but observers say that was never really on the table.Instead, the agreement calls for the creation of a committee of experts to "facilitate implementation" and "promote compliance" with the agreement, but it won't have the power to punish violators.'This didn't save the planet'Another issue, according to observers, was whether there would be compensation is paid to countries that will see irreparable damage from climate change but have done almost nothing to cause it.The agreement calls for developed countries to raise at least $100 billion annually in order to assist developing countries. Members of the scientific and environmental activist communities responded with varying degrees of optimism."This didn't save the planet," Bill McKibben, the co-founder of 350.org, said of the agreement. "But it may have saved the chance of saving the planet." Jennifer Morgan of the World Resources Institute anticipated a "historic agreement that marks a turning point in the climate crisis."What happens next?Even though the text has been agreed upon, there's still much more that needs to be done before the agreement goes into effect. The agreement was adopted by "consensus" during the meeting of government ministers. That doesn't necessarily mean all 196 parties approved it; French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who served as the president of the conference, had the authority to decide if a consensus had been reached.Individual countries now must individually ratify or approve the agreement in their respective countries.And the agreement won't enter into force until 55 countries have ratified it. Those nations must account for 55% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.#D12 Nous sommes là nature qui se défend ! #ClimateJusticeNow #LignesRouges #FrontLinesUnited pic.twitter.com/zU2tIxTOXu— C.C. les Engraineurs (@lesEngraineurs) December 12, 2015 That means if the world's biggest polluters don't authorize the agreement, enacting it could prove challenging.China and the United States, respectively, account for about 24% and 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Resources Institute.A senior administration official told CNN that Congress doesn't have to vote on the plan."This agreement does not require submission to the Senate because of the way it is structured," he said. "The targets aren't binding." The pieces that are binding are already part of existing agreements, the official said.One leading Republican criticized the agreement, saying it will place emissions restrictions on American industry while requiring the United States to give money to undeveloped nations."Once again, this administration is all too eager for the international community to review its commitments before even revealing those commitments to the American people," said Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.The United States has backed off full support of climate change measures in the past.The Kyoto Protocol on reducing greenhouse gas emissions was adopted in 1997. The Clinton administration signed the agreement but, fearing defeat, never submitted it to the Senate for ratification.In China, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is in charge of approving treaties.From Xie Zhenhua, China's chief COP21 negotiator, said, "Although this deal is not entirely perfect and contains some content that needs to be improved, this doesn't prevent us from taking a historic step ahead."The agreement calls for a signature ceremony in April 2016, and requests that the U.N. Secretary-General keep the agreement open for signing until April 2017.Fabius released the draft worked out by negotiators Saturday morning. Later in the day, world leaders or their representatives approved it. A crowd erupted in applause once the agreement's adoption was announced. Watch the moment when the new, universal #ParisAgreement was adopted at #COP21 pic.twitter.com/b3F6p0KBWi— UN Climate Action (@UNFCCC) December 12, 2015 'We need all hands on deck'Leaders around the world praised passage of the agreement."A month ago tomorrow, Paris was the victim of the deadliest terror attack in Europe for more than a decade," British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote in a Facebook post. "Today, it has played host to one of the most positive global steps in history."U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hailed the draft."We must protect the planet that sustains us," Ban said. "For that we need all hands on deck."In the streets of Paris, outside the conference, protesters demanded action. #ParisAgreement was trending on Twitter."Nous sommes la nature qui se défend!" read one tweet, with a photo of one person dressed as a polar bear and another dressed as a penguin. "We are nature that defends itself."Some demonstrators felt differently -- they called the agreement insufficient and chanted "it's a crime against humanity.""We have a 1.5-degree wall to climb, but the ladder isn't tall enough," Kumi Naidoo of Greenpeace said at a press conference. He did call the agreement a "new imperative" and positive step.2 degrees Celsius threshold Capping the increase in global average temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius was organizers' key goal going into the COP21. That level of warming is measured as the average temperature increase since the Industrial Revolution.Failure to set a cap could result in superdroughts, deadlier heat waves, mass extinctions of plants and animals, megafloods and rising seas that could wipe some island countries off the map. Scientists and policy experts say hitting the 2 degrees Celsius threshold would require the world to move off fossil fuels between about 2050 and the end of the century. To reach the more ambitious 1.5 degrees Celsius goal, some researchers say the world will need to reach zero net carbon emissions sometime between about 2030 and 2050.CNN's Don Melvin, Ralph Ellis and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-09 14:22:30

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/09/opinions/sutter-faces-climate-change-cop21/index.html

COP21: The moral case for climate action (Opinion) - CNN

Climate change: CNN's John D. Sutter meets with people living on the front lines of global warming. They're participating in the U.N. climate summit in Paris.

opinions, COP21: The moral case for climate action (Opinion) - CNN

The moral case for climate action

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Le Bourget, France (CNN)Constance Okollet, a farmer and mother of seven from eastern Uganda, remembers a time when there were two seasons in her village. "These days we don't have seasons at all," she told me. Esau Sinnok, an 18-year-old from Shishmaref, Alaska, believes his indigenous community will have to relocate as the permafrost melts and the coast continues to erode. "I live with my grandparents in a blue house in Shishmaref, and that is almost on the edge of the island," he said. "Whenever there's a storm and big waves, we hear that when we're sleeping. "Knowing that your hometown has to move," he said, "that's just very emotional."Read MoreAnd Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a young mom from the Marshall Islands in the distant Pacific Ocean, has a hard time planning for her family's future because she knows the seas are rising and, unless swift action is taken to stop all fossil fuel use, her tiny country likely will disappear. "You don't know how big the ocean is until you go to the Marshall Islands," she said. "I hope that my daughter's granddaughter and her granddaughter can come back home and know where their island is, and be able to live there if they so choose."These are the moral voices for action on climate change. And, this week, they might finally be heard. Government ministers here in Paris for the U.N. COP21 climate change summit appear to be close to signing onto an agreement that would help the world avoid some of the worst effects of global warming. The accord won't solve the problem, to be sure. Policymakers have set a target of limiting warming as much below 2 degrees Celsius as possible. The pledges linked to the "Paris Outcome," as it may be called, are estimated to slow warming to 2.7 degrees Celsius by 2100. That would carry disastrous consequences for people in Alaska, where warming is happening at twice the global rate, and the Marshall Islands, which may disappear beneath rising seas if warming isn't kept well below 2 degrees, perhaps to 1.5 degrees.Still, if 195 countries agree to a deal -- which is far from certain, since many of these negotiations have fallen apart quite dramatically in the past -- the signal will be clear: We as a world finally recognize the grave consequences of polluting so much that we're warming the atmosphere and throwing global systems out of whack. We know that continuing to burn coal, oil and natural gas will exacerbate extinction, drought, famine, conflict, storms and floods. And we know that to reduce the odds of these consequences -- which come with steep price tags the longer we wait to change our energy system -- we need to ditch fossil fuels entirely by about midcentury. Stories like those of Okollet, Sinnok, Jetnil-Kijiner and many others I met here in Paris and elsewhere have helped wake up negotiators and the public to these stark realities.While there certainly are business cases for climate action -- Unilever CEO Paul Polman told me it's smart business to curb emissions because bottom lines will be weakened by stronger droughts and less availability of water and other natural resources -- the central reason we must act on climate change is a moral one. It is fundamentally unjust that people who have done little or nothing to cause this problem are bearing the brunt of its consequences. I asked the U.N.'s humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, about what's at stake with these negotiations, which could conclude as soon as 6 p.m. Friday. "The stakes, quite clearly, are people," he said. "In the end this is about how much is the world prepared to invest in its own future."People living on the front lines of climate change are doing their best to sound a clarion call for action on climate change. It can be a matter of life and death.Take Diana Rios, a 21-year-old from Soweto, Peru, a community lodged deep in the Amazon at least a day or two by canoe from the nearest city. Rios told me her father and three other community members were assassinated by loggers for trying to protect the rain forest. The local activists were walking across the border to Brazil for a meeting on how to stop illegal logging when they were killed, allegedly by people with ties to that industry. Put another way, her father died fighting climate change, since deforestation contributes perhaps 10% to 20% of global warming emissions."They say that if you cut a tree you are cutting a human being because you can't breathe the oxygen that is contaminated," Rios told me. "We are not safe in this life. We continue receiving threats. ... They want to kill us because we are bringing justice."She sees her continued fight against illegal logging -- and coming to Paris for COP21 -- as ways to help avenge his death, to stop the people who killed her dad from winning. "We have hope that one day we can live in harmony and tranquillity," she said. Okollet, Sinnok and Jetnil-Kijiner also came to Paris to push for action. For them, this isn't about diplomacy. It's a matter of survival. Sinnok, the young man from Alaska, lost his uncle a few years ago. He died after falling through the sea ice on a hunting trip. Normally, the ice would have been frozen during that time of year, Sinnok told me, but rapid warming in the Arctic has made the ice thinner. Sinnok blames climate change at least partly for his uncle's death. "He was such a great person, a great uncle," Sinnok told me. His death inspired Sinnok's fight against climate change. Okollet, 51, the farmer from Uganda, told me that some people in her community, Tororo, had started to wonder if God had forsaken them because their community was flooding so often. Okollet's home was washed away in a 2007 flood, and she said many of her friends and neighbors died in the ensuring cholera outbreak, which she said the community never had seen before. "We thought, 'Is this God?' " she said. "I learned it was not God," she said. "It was climate change."Despite these grim realities, Okollet, Sinnok and other people living on the front lines of climate change haven't given up hope. And neither should we. We should take their stories as a window into the climate-changed future. And we must hear them as a call to action. "People need to listen more," said Jetnil-Kijiner, the woman from the Marshall Islands. "This doesn't just affect us," she added. "It affects the whole world. "If we save our island, you know, I believe that we can save the world." Negotiators in Paris: Listen up. Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-08 13:22:14

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/opinions/sutter-ice-watch-cop21-two-degrees/index.html

COP21 climate talks: Watching Greenland melt from Paris - CNN

An outdoor exhibit focuses attention on the ephemeral nature of something amazing: ice. The Arctic is warming at about twice the rate of the rest of the planet.

opinions, COP21 climate talks: Watching Greenland melt from Paris - CNN

Watching Greenland melt from Paris

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Paris (CNN)Have you ever seen ice -- like really seen ice?Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic-Danish artist who lassoed and transported tons of ice from Greenland to Paris for a new climate change-inspired exhibit, bets you haven't."The truth is the ice is amazing. It's so touching to look at," he told me, standing in front of 12 hunks of Greenland that glittered blue-white in front of the Pantheon in Paris. The ice blocks -- totaling nearly 100 tons, he told me -- are arranged in the shape of a clock. You can see streaks of air and tiny bubbles in the ice. Put your ear to it, as I did at Eliasson's suggestion, and you hear a faint crackling sound. "It's a little concert," he said. "It's a little ice concert."The outdoor exhibit, called Paris Ice Watch, is meant to focus the world's attention on the increasingly ephemeral nature of these amazing ice hunks. Not too far away, in a Parisian suburb, officials from 195 countries are meeting at the U.N. COP21 climate change summit to try to figure out how to curb the most disastrous consequences of global warming. Paris Ice Watch is a reminder that the ice is melting as they talk.Read More"It sort of looks like a dial on the watch," Eliasson said of his creation. "The title 'Ice Watch' is also about watching the time." When I met Eliasson on Thursday, the day the installation opened, he expected it to be gone in perhaps a week. Even when we met, there was enough chilly water pooling on the ground to start to seep through my shoes. The 47-year-old also aims to strike an emotional chord with people who encounter the massive exhibit, put their hands and ears on the ice and snap selfies with it. "Let's show the glacier is actually real. It's actually there," he told me. "It's just not some abstract thing people talk about if you're a scientist." He thinks that relationship with the ice -- seeing its surprisingly bright blues and greens, noticing the tiny air bubbles trapped inside -- will encourage people to want to protect it. It also might get them thinking about the fact that the Arctic is warming about twice the rate of the rest of the planet, thanks to pollution from burning fossil fuels for electricity and heat. "We know so much about the climate right now," he said. "And I'm very curious about how do we translate all of this knowledge into action."I found the demonstration quite effective. Negotiators from around the world are haggling over a draft agreement that could be turned into something final as soon as Friday. As they do, they'd be wise to think of Eliasson and his exhibit on Greenland. This is likely to be the hottest year on record. If all of Greenland melted, which could happen if we let climate change run amok, global seas would rise perhaps 7 meters. "It's not just a fantasy," the artist said. "It's something that's right here and now."Eliasson told me the ice hunks already had calved off of Greenland before his crew lassoed them and transported the ice to Paris. That's important, he said, because it means he didn't contribute to removing ice directly from Greenland. This stuff already was floating away. Another green consideration: He weighed the climate pollution associated with this trek -- but decided it was worth it if the exhibit helped wake the world up to the urgency of climate change.He's optimistic world leaders will reach a deal in Paris. Since we humans were able to create this mess, he told me, we can fix it. "We underestimate how amazing we are as people." Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-08 20:34:37

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/opinions/sutter-1-5-degrees-climate-cop21/index.html

COP21: Is 2 degrees the wrong climate goal? (Opinion) - CNN

Climate change: CNN's John D. Sutter examines the debate over what level of global warming should be seen as acceptable at the UN climate summit in Paris.

opinions, COP21: Is 2 degrees the wrong climate goal? (Opinion) - CNN

Is 2 degrees the wrong climate goal?

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Le Bourget, France (CNN)If you've looked at this website much in 2015, you've probably noticed I've been writing something over and over and over: 2 degrees Celsius is the danger zone for global warming. Crossing that temperature threshold has all sorts of consequences, for the natural world and people. Low-lying Pacific nations, like Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, likely will be uninhabitable at that level of warming, which is measured as the average temperature increase since the industrial revolution. Storms and heatwaves will get more dangerous. Droughts will become supercharged. Animals will be at risk for extinction, and so on. That one little number is at the heart of the COP21 U.N. climate talks, which are heading into the home stretch this week here in a Parisian suburb. Over the weekend, negotiators from 195 countries agreed on a draft text of an agreement, whose name is still TBD. The goal is to finalize the draft by Friday, but many, many hurdles remain before that can happen. Among them: Should 2 degrees remain the world's climate target?A growing coalition of activists and government officials now are calling for an even lower temperature ceiling: 1.5 degrees Celsius since the industrial revolution.Read MoreTheir catchy slogan? "One-point-five to stay alive." It's not an overstatement. Small island nations long have called for a 1.5-degree threshold, arguing, based on sound science, that they may not exist if temperatures warm 2 degrees because seas will rise too quickly for their islands to adapt.Now, however, officials in high-polluting countries like France, Canada, Germany and even the United States have started to throw some hip behind the 1.5 movement."I think we should embrace it as a legitimate aspiration," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday in an interview with Mashable at the Earth to Paris event here. He stopped short, however, of advocating replacing 2 degrees with 1.5 degrees in the UN agreement.Canada went further. "I support the goals of 1.5," the country's climate minister, Catherine McKenna, said on Sunday, according to a report in the National Observer.These rhetorical shifts are significant. But is it scientifically feasible to stop warming short of 1.5 degrees? And, if so, should this more ambitious number become part of international climate policy?I spent most of Tuesday talking with scientists, researchers and policy makers trying to make sense of those two questions. The answers, from where I sit: Yes and hopefully.Our global ambition should be to stop warming short of 1.5 degrees. That's what the latest science calls for, and it's also the moral thing to do. Otherwise, our indifference and our addiction to dirty energy could wipe small countries off the map.I'd like to see the 1.5 target remain in the draft of the COP21 agreement in Paris, but I also don't think negotiators and activists should become so fixated on 1.5 degrees that they derail a deal. The actions we need to take to stop warming short of 1.5 degrees or 2 degrees are remarkably similar. In both cases, another number is crucial: zero.The world needs to move rapidly toward zero net carbon emissions. To hit the 1.5 degree goal, that needs to happen sometime between about 2030 and 2050, according to the researchers I spoke with. For 2 degrees, there's a little more time, perhaps until 2050 to 2080. Either way, the strategy is the same: Move off fossil fuels absolutely as quickly as possible. Doing so -- and doing so now -- ultimately will cost less in terms of overall social and environmental effects. The fight between 1.5 and 2 degrees shouldn't obfuscate that clear reality. "The main point is you have to go to zero quite rapidly," said Glen Peters, a senior researcher at the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo, Norway.And since world leaders already have agreed -- long before Paris -- to try to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius, continuing to chase that goal shouldn't be seen as a disappointment to environmentalists or small-island states. These targets, according to many researchers, including the Yale economist who first proposed the 2 degrees target in the 1970s, help us estimate the "danger zone" for climate change. But it's not like the world falls off a cliff at 1.51 degrees of warming. Our predictions aren't that good. All climate change policy is about gambling. Disaster becomes more likely the warmer the atmosphere gets. What's clear: We must do as much as we can. The most important outcome of a successful agreement here in Paris, as many have argued, could be sending the signal to leaders in business, investment, government and media that the world is moving away from dirty energy sources, quickly, and isn't turning back. Both 1.5 and 2 degree targets send that message.Stopping warming short of 1.5 or 2 degrees will be extremely difficult, but it's possible. "From the point of view of science, technology and economics, the literature and modeling on energy and climate systems shows that it's feasible to limit warming to below 1.5 degree by 2100," said Bill Hare, the physicist who is founder and CEO of Climate Analytics. Shooting for the 1.5-degree ceiling requires more faith in technology, he told me, since we'll need to find a way to vacuum carbon out of the atmosphere in order to meet it. We're almost certain to blow past 1.5 degrees of warming (we're already at 1 degree) this century based on the pollution we've already put into the atmosphere, researchers told me, but they're hoping we might be able to bring temperatures back down, boomerang style, with new tech.There's a certain danger in hoping technology will save the day, but recent announcements by Bill Gates and others, who plan to put billions into energy research and development, are cause for optimism. Meanwhile, according to Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, we know how to get to 100% renewable energy by 2050 using even just the technologies we have right in front of us. "The answer is yes, it's possible," he said. "Will anyone do it is another question." A global tax on carbon would help push us in the right direction. As would bold policies at all levels of government to bolster the transition.Stopping warming short of 1.5 degrees is a laudable goal. The fate of small island states, like the Marshall Islands, which I visited earlier this year, may hang in the balance between those two numbers. As could the long-term fate of the Greenland ice sheet, which would cause disastrous levels of sea rise worldwide if it melts over the course of centuries.But the number isn't as important as the trajectory.I want to be able to look into the eyes of people in the Marshall Islands -- a beautiful, fragile place, where the word for hello ("iakwe") also means "I love you" and "You are a rainbow" -- and say that I did everything I could to help save their land, language and culture.We know how to do that. We have to stop using fossil fuels. And we need to do that as fast as possible.Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-03 19:51:53

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/opinions/sutter-bill-gates-paris-cop21/index.html

Bill Gates: Your question (and his response) - CNN

To meet the 2 degrees Celsius goal we basically need to ditch fossil fuels completely sometime around midcentury.

opinions, Bill Gates: Your question (and his response) - CNN

Your question for Bill Gates (and his response)

Story highlightsWorld leaders and diplomats have been gathering in Paris for COP21 climate talksJohn Sutter: A major problem in energy efficiency technology is transmissionCNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Tell him how you fear climate change could affect you personally, and you could be part of CNN's coverage. You can also subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Paris (CNN)Something pretty rad happened the other day: I met Bill Gates. Given that I'm at the COP21 U.N. climate conference, the subject of our encounter was climate change. Gates, the billionaire nerd-turned-humanitarian, and founder of Microsoft, announced this week an investment partnership to help bring billions to clean energy research. I only had time to ask Gates one question before his handlers swept him away. John D. SutterI decided to give that question to one of you -- specifically Jay, one of my followers on Snapchat. (I'm jdsutter on that app). Here's what I asked on Jay's behalf: What one technology on the horizon do you think will help us beat the 2 degrees Celsius target for global warming? That temperature increase, as I'm sure you know if you've been following this series, is the agreed-upon point at which climate change gets especially catastrophic. It's so important that beating the goal is why more than 140 world leaders gathered here in France to try to figure out how to avoid that level of warming, measured as an increase since the Industrial Revolution. Diplomats will be here at the U.N. COP21 talks at least until December 11. Read MoreHere's how Gates responded to Jay's climate question: "No single technology (will solve climate change). I think we have to go after fusion and fission and biofuels. I'll mention one that is still in an early stage and very risky -- and that's taking the sun and directly making fuels. And even though it may not work, there's some labs, particularly at Caltech, professor (Nathan) Lewis, who have made some progress on that. It's magical because if you can make the liquid hydrocarbon, the gasoline-type substance, you can always store that and move it around. We know how to do that. So you avoid this storage intermittency problem that's really the toughest thing right now about wind and solar."Climate change is a form of terrorThe whole thing seemed so cool and collected, delivered in that I'm-the-person-who-can-see-the-future-and-it's-going-to-be-great manner only Bill Gates can pull off. Cool, calm. Gentle, and with a knowing, warm smile. But here's a little secret: Once the Gates glow faded, I realized I had no idea what he was talking about. Using the sun to create a liquid fuel, like oil? I'd never heard of that. I stopped a few well-informed people on the street here at COP21 and felt a little better about myself when I realized none of them had heard of this idea either. Luckily, Gates had referenced a researcher -- Nathan Lewis from the California Institute of Technology. And I managed to track Lewis down via Skype. CNN's John Sutter speaks with Bill Gates at the climate change conference.Basically, he told me, he's trying to re-engineer the leaf of a plant. He's turned leaves into multilayer black sheets of plastic -- "imagine a high-performance rain jacket" -- that trap the sun's energy and, through a series of reactions, turn it into a liquid fuel. "It's just a fuel like any other fuel -- like oil or gas," he said. "The simplest application involves a kind of club sandwich of cells: a series of catalysts separated by a membrane, and surrounded by light-absorbing material on the top and bottom," Bill Gates wrote last month. "These cells use sunlight to generate enough energy to split water, producing oxygen and hydrogen gas; the hydrogen can be used directly as fuel or in commercial processes like making fertilizer. "Another approach uses water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to create hydrocarbons -- making it possible to produce and burn fuels with no net gain or loss of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."'The shoes are marching for us'How realistic is it though? "We have test pieces of plastic that can be rolled out that do demonstrate this is possible," Lewis told me, adding that it will likely be four or five years before a working prototype exists, and some time beyond that before anything could be deployed on a commercial scale. ("The first iPhone is not the one we hold in our hands now, and the first cell phone was not an iPhone," he said).He does imagine this happening, though, and has estimated that you could power the United States with this technology if we covered 1% of our land with these plastic, energy-making tarps."It's like we're drawing to an inside straight" in poker, he said. "We have the middle cards and we need the low or we need the high. There are various ways to be successful. ... We need to keep our options open in order to develop this system."If it works, Lewis will have solved a major problem in energy efficiency technology: transmission. Solar panels are getting much cheaper, and wind power is expanding, but the energy from those clean sources is difficult to store and/or transmit through the power grid. When the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining, we need backup fuels, such as oil or natural gas, which are among the high-carbon energy sources that are creating global warming, but are easily transported by pipeline. I hope he succeeds, although I don't think we can wait to expand the use of already-available clean energy technologies we have on the market. I recently visited Denmark, which gets 40% of its electricity from wind, so there's promise in what we already have. To meet the 2 degrees Celsius goal, though, we basically need to ditch fossil fuels completely sometime around midcentury. So big, long-term bets on research make lots of sense, too. The multibillion-dollar fund Gates announced here at COP21 -- which will pool resources from private investors as well as the governments of 20 countries, including the United States, China and India, as CNN Money reports -- is a massive step in the right direction. Oh, and by the way, Lewis wasn't at all surprised Gates called him out by name -- and it doesn't make him feel added pressure to succeed. "It's no pressure at all for us. We're working as hard as we can every day to try to figure out how to bring this thing to life. It's wonderful people are pointing it out," he said. "It's OK to fail as long as we fail fast and keep trying."Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-04 21:25:14

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/04/opinions/sutter-samso-denmark-climate-change-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change: Denmark's 'fairy tale' energy island - CNN

COP21: CNN's John D. Sutter visits Samsø, a Danish island that produces 100% renewable energy. He finds the island offers solutions to global warming.

climate change, denmark, cop21, samso, paris, global warming, 2 degrees, two degrees, john d. sutter, cnn, wind power, renewable energy, green technology, islands, opinions, Climate change: Denmark's 'fairy tale' energy island - CNN

The 'fairy tale' energy island

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Samsø, Denmark (CNN)This is a fairy tale, but a true one. The setting: An island in central Denmark called Samsø. It's a land of corduroy-row potatoes, strawberry patches and olive-colored seas -- a tidy farming community where people listen to each other and try to get along. It's a charming place, sure. One that could be described as a land far-far away in one of Hans Christian Andersen's storybooks. ("The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Mermaid" -- those stories came from this tiny Nordic nation, after all.) But doing so would miss the point. Samsø isn't all that distant or magical. It's a lot like any other place. It's only superpower: People here believe they can change destiny. And they've done it. The hero of our tale: Søren Hermansen, a stout man with duck-fuzz hair and a gentle smile. He helped convince this tiny island, years ago, that it could do the impossible -- that it could ditch fossil fuels, and, in doing so, energize the local economy and help with climate change.Read MoreIf only more people would listen to him. World leaders and diplomats have convened in a Parisian suburb this week for the COP21 UN climate talks. The goal: Figure out how to ditch fossil fuels by 2050 and avoid 2 degrees Celsius of warming. That temperature increase, measured since the Industrial Revolution, likely would wipe low-lying island countries off the map, intensify droughts, push countless species toward extinction and supercharge deadly heat waves. We don't want to cross that line, or even approach it. But we've already warmed the atmosphere about 1 degree. As part of the U.N. summit, delegates are asking big questions: Is it possible to move away from fossil fuels and toward a cleaner energy system? What will it cost? How long will it take? Jørgen Tranberg is one of about 4,000 locals who pooled money to buy wind turbines.Those conversations are a world away from Samsø.This 3,700-person island -- and this country, Denmark, which has arguably the most ambitious climate change plan in the world -- already are doing what it takes to avoid disastrous climate change. The island produces more renewable energy annually than it uses. And it's trying to ditch fossil fuels completely -- as soon as possible. They've been at it for decades. In 1997, Samsø residents responded to a challenge: The federal government asked communities to compete for the title of the country's first town powered 100% by renewable energy. Samsø won the bid, and achieved that goal. It didn't get any special help to do it, according to Hermansen. Aside from some technical consulting, the island only had access to energy subsidies and other assistance that would be available to any Danish locale. How'd they do it? Hermansen 56, told me there was no special sauce, really.It was "meetings and meetings and meetings -- I mean, hundreds of meetings," he said. Which is fitting for an island with a name that roughly means "the place of gatherings" and which, he told me, is thought to have been a major meeting place for Vikings back in the day. Hermansen was among those pushing this transition, but it was important to him and others that everyone in the community (then about 4,400 people) had a say. He's fond of saying the island turned the "NIMBY" attitude (for "Not In My Backyard") into "YIMBY" (for "Yes In My Backyard") by asking residents to invest in the 21 large wind turbines that now dot the island's landscape and generate power from offshore. "A (wind) turbine looks much prettier when it's yours," he told me.After winning the contest, residents started pooling their money -- $80 million in credit in the first 10 years, split among 4,000 locals as well as private investors and the municipality, according to Hermansen -- to buy the wind turbines and invest in a centralized heating system powered partly by leftover straw from farms, and other ongoing projects."I'm a person who's acting instead of talking," said Stefan Wolffbrandt. Not everyone invested, and they didn't do so equally. But each investor, Hermansen said, has an equal say in the administration of the project. It's worked. Samsø now says it is powered by 100% renewable energy and is "carbon neutral." There are still some gas-powered cars and tractors on the island, so it hasn't ditched fossil fuels completely (it plans to by 2030). But it does produce more energy from renewable sources than it actually can use. It exports wind power to the rest of Denmark, a country where a staggering 40% of all electricity comes from the wind. On September 1, according to Gitte Agersbæk, an engineer at Energinet, which helps manage the power grid, the country made so much wind power it covered all of its energy needs for that day. Coal power plants temporarily were shut down, and the excess clean energy was sold to nearby countries like Germany."It's not the windmills that make it interesting," Hermansen said of the island where he grew up and the 21 wind turbines installed in recent years. "It's the story: The little community that did good, turned green, and actually realized something.""You're in the country of fairy tales," he told me. I spent a day on this fairytale energy island in late November, on my way to the climate talks in Paris. It was a windy day -- I'm told the average wind speed is 16.3 miles per hour -- and the first snow of the year. Near-blizzard conditions almost canceled my departure by ferry, but lent a certain charm to the steep-angle roofs and winding roads.One question I had going into the short voyage was whether it felt any different to live on Samsø, knowing you're not really contributing to climate change. I have a lot of climate guilt from flying around the world reporting about this stuff, and when I checked into my hotel room on Samsø and turned on the lights I felt a rush of relief. This power was nearly guilt-free, I thought. How incredible. I decided to ask Jørgen Tranberg, a farmer wearing bright blue overalls on top of a bright blue shirt, if it felt the same way to him, too."It's normal for Samsø -- and me," he said, simply. "We don't use oil."People here aren't on a save-the-world bent, necessarily. ("We don't wake up in the morning and say, 'How do we save the polar bear,'" Hermansen said). They're trying to live better lives, to make smart investments, and to create jobs. Tranberg, the farmer, for example, invested a sizable sum of his money -- through low-interest loans the municipality helped provide -- on wind turbines. He's made it back and more, the 61-year-old told me, using the extra money to build an energy-efficient house with geothermal heat, solar energy and thick insulation in the walls. "It's a very cheap house to live in," he said. Stefan Wolffbrandt, 49, told me he installed the solar panels on his roof during the COP15 U.N. climate summit, which was held in Copenhagen in 2009. I asked if he went to the super-green Danish capital (43% of people there cycle to work or school daily, according to Klaus Bondam, director of the Danish Cyclists' Federation) to participate in protests there.Nope. Not his style. "I'm a person who's acting instead of talking," he said. "That's the spirit of the whole island," he said. "That's how we think." (This decisiveness applies to his love life, too, by the way. Wolffbrandt's now-wife, Ann Nørgaard, moved to Samsø to be with him 20 days after the couple met).Søren Hermansen helped convince the island to pursue 100% renewable energy.It's not like Samsø is paradise, of course. Some locals told me there's not enough work and that young people are leaving. The island has the lowest family disposable income rate in Denmark, according to 2012 government data, at about $38,400 per year, compared to the national average of $46,200.The energy transition hasn't been flawless either. The price of wind electricity has dropped considerably in recent years, and some locals grouch about that, since they sell excess clean power to the mainland. Some wind turbines have needed expensive repairs. Others say the island still has a long way to go if it wants all of its cars and homes to be fully electrified and heated without any fossil fuels.But you get the sense Samsø will figure things out. It's what they do. This is the "place of gatherings" and meetings, after all. People here work together to fix things. The world needs this cooperative, yeah-we-got-this attitude now more than ever. All of us will have to work together to beat climate change.It will take real work, and substantial shifts. Denmark taxes cars, subsidizes clean energy and puts a price on carbon pollution to help create a market that will support cleaner energies. Samsø has been able to thrive in this environment that supports innovation, helps communities get loans for clean energy and creates economic incentives not to pollute. There's no reason these policies couldn't be replicated elsewhere, especially in high-polluting countries like the United States and China, which are doing more to cause global warming than anyone. "I do not want to make it sound as though it's just like this -- snap -- and we're very, very green," said Connie Hedegaard, former EU commissioner for climate action. "People (in Denmark) think it makes a difference what you do," she said. "And it makes a difference whether you do something or not. You're not sitting passively waiting for somebody else, or for the politicians, to do it. That is something that hopefully could inspire others."It's inspired me.Other communities should be having clean-energy discussions, too. And then they need to act.We don't have to wait for world leaders at COP21 in Paris.Actually, we don't have time to wait for them, with the fates of low-lying islands, Arctic communities and millions of the world's poor hanging in the balance of climate change."You have to go through a hell of a lot of trouble before you get the princess," Hermansen said.But fairy tales, of course, don't happen unless we make them come true.Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-11-29 22:28:11

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/29/opinions/sutter-climate-demonstration-paris-cop21/index.html

Climate change: 'The shoes are marching for us' - CNN

COP21: John D. Sutter visits a demonstration in Paris ahead of a major U.N. climate change summit. Marches were banned because of recent terror attacks.

opinions, Climate change: 'The shoes are marching for us' - CNN

'The shoes are marching for us'

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Tell him how you fear climate change could affect you personally, and you could be part of CNN's coverage. You can also subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Paris (CNN)A 7-year-old's sneakers. An accountant's slippers. Gold heels with spikes and a piece of paper carrying a message: "Invest in renewable (energy) ... now." Thousands of shoes stood in silent protest on Sunday in Paris.Their owners, climate change activists who have descended on this city for a major U.N. climate summit that starts Monday, were banned by authorities from holding mass marches because of security concerns after the November 13 terror attacks, which killed at least 130 people. But activists didn't let that stop them from making their message heard."The shoes are marching for us," one Parisian man, René Stroh, told me.Read MoreI came upon the display, which had the feel of a public art instillation in front of the Place de la République, not far from the site of the recent shootings. It was the perfect, somber response to the ban on mass protests ahead of the COP21 U.N. climate change talks. Handwritten messages on the shoes called for the world to abandon fossil fuels and avoid the most disastrous impacts of climate change."The shoes are marching for us," said René Stroh of Paris.The shoes asked dignitaries -- 140 of whom, including U.S. President Barack Obama, will be here for the summit -- to consider their children and generations that will inherit this planet from us. A troupe of Australian women dressed as "climate angels" walked speechlessly through the rows of shoes, underscoring the gravity of both the recent terror attacks here and the persistent threat of climate change. "It's important not to stay too sad," said Murielle Ellert, a 38-year-old accountant whose shoes were among those on display. "We have to continue to live exactly like we did" before the attacks.While banned in Paris, the site of the U.N. climate meetings, mass protests demanding climate action did continue around the world. They had been planned in locations as diverse as the United Kingdom, Senegal, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, China, South Africa and Ukraine. Photos: Marching against global warming Photos: Marching against global warmingClimate activists organized a silent march in Paris on Sunday to avoid defying a ban on mass protest on Sunday, November 29. More than 140 world leaders are gathering in Paris for high-stakes climate talks that start Monday, and activists are holding marches and protests around the world to urge them to reach a strong agreement to slow global warming. Hide Caption 1 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPolice fight with activists during a protest ahead of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference at the Place de la République.Hide Caption 2 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingA man is detained November 29 by police at the Place de la République, where the candles and flowers were set in memory of the victims of the Paris terror attacks earlier in the month.Hide Caption 3 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingHundreds of pairs of shoes are displayed at the Place de la République.Hide Caption 4 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingWomen dressed as angels pose at the Place de la République.Hide Caption 5 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingClimate change demonstrators march to demand curbs to carbon pollution in London.Hide Caption 6 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingProtesters march down Piccadilly during the London demonstration.Hide Caption 7 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingClimate activists march in front of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin. Hide Caption 8 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingActivists of the World Wildlife Fund wearing endangered species costumes perform at the Revolution Monument in Mexico City.Hide Caption 9 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPeople take part in the Global Climate March in Bogota, Colombia.Hide Caption 10 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingA woman holds a sign reading "No more plastic bags" during a march in Santiago, Chile. Hide Caption 11 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingClimate march participants gather in front of the Helsinki Cathedral in Helsinki, Finland.Hide Caption 12 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPeople hold flags and placards while marching in Amsterdam.Hide Caption 13 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingProtesters wearing penguin costumes march in Vienna, Austria.Hide Caption 14 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPeople dressed in white crowd form a human glacier in Munich, Germany.Hide Caption 15 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPeople form a human chain in Nantes, France.Hide Caption 16 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingSome 700 people from different climate justice movements gather in the Johannesburg, South Africa, focusing on the continued reliance of coal as a primary source of generating electricity. Hide Caption 17 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingPeople attend a rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh.Hide Caption 18 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingFilipino Catholic nuns join the Climate Solidarity Prayer March in Manila, Philippines.Hide Caption 19 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingA protester dressed as a panda bear marches with others holding banners reading "stop climate change" through the streets of central Madrid, Spain.Hide Caption 20 of 21 Photos: Marching against global warmingEnvironmental activists march in Seoul, South Korea.Hide Caption 21 of 21As I've argued before, climate change is a form of terror, only one that's playing out over the long term, and one we're perpetrating on ourselves. We shouldn't ignore threats from ISIS and other extremists, and we must take time to honor the victims of the terror attacks in Paris and Lebanon, and to respect the lives that will be forever changed by their absence. But climate change is deserving of our attention as well. Left unchecked, it promises to drown low-lying countries such as the Marshall Islands; melt communities such as Shishmaref, Alaska, out of existence; push countless species toward extinction and millions of people into poverty; and intensify droughts such as the one researchers say helped destabilize Syria pre-ISIS.The COP21 talks -- the policy-wonk name for the 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change -- are our best chance to do something about this crisis. "COP22 is going to be too late," said Cedric Mast, a 28-year-old Parisian. Silent #ClimateMarch in Paris. Moved nearly to tears by this. No marches b/c terror attack. #COP21 #2degrees pic.twitter.com/QWiGxeMLLX— John D. Sutter (@jdsutter) November 29, 2015 The display of shoes at the Place de la République, which was organized by a group called Avaaz, gave way around noon to a "human chain" of activists that stretched down Boulevard Voltaire and up to the Bataclan, the music venue where so many were shot and killed. "We were in a state of emergency before the attack, and we will still be in a climate state of emergency after the attack" because of climate change, said Eros Sana of 350.org, a climate activist group that helped organize the human chain. "We decided to do something that is not a banned demonstration."Along the chain, I met a woman dressed as a clown and wearing goggles and a snorkel ("We know the water is going up and we are ready," she said in a French accent), as well as Helene Hohmeier, a 53-year-old woman wearing a polar bear hat ("The ice is melting. It's very urgent to do a lot of something"). Corentin Leblanc, a 20-year-old wearing a stocking cap and a massive backpack, pulled me aside to say he'd walked 600 kilometers (373 miles) from The Netherlands to Paris for the demonstration.The show of solidarity was respectful and moving. It effectively conveyed a reverence for the tragedy that still cloaks this city and the urgency with which we need to act on climate change. "The ice is melting. It's very urgent." -Helene Hohmeier 53, woman with polar bear on her head. #ClimateMarch #cop21 pic.twitter.com/3eMm1VdUv6— John D. Sutter (@jdsutter) November 29, 2015 I was saddened, however, to see protests become heated later in the day. After the silent-shoe demonstration and the human chain had dispersed, by about 1 p.m., a group of activists that 350.org claims are "unaffiliated with the climate movement" amassed on the Place de la République. They challenged the ban on marching and were met with police in riot gear who fired tear gas into the crowd. One demonstrator, a bandana pulled over his face, grabbed a CNN cameraman and tried to remove him and his camera from the scene. Tension #placedelarepublique : les CRS ont tenté une charge pic.twitter.com/Mt9RXXzMuX— Sophie Perez (@sophie_perez10) November 29, 2015 They chanted for liberty and for the closing of all factories -- an end to market consumerism. It all had a militant, combative tone. I understand the emotional charge behind the COP21 climate talks. The world has waited far too long to move toward a cleaner-energy future. I'm frustrated, too. But I found the morning's silent demonstrations to be far more effective and respectful.I hope the U.N. climate talks, which continue at least through December 11, will foster productive dialogue and real, substantial change. Not conflict and animosity. There's no time for that, not anymore. It's now time -- during what likely will be the hottest year on record -- for us to realize that we need to work together to implement solutions to this crisis. We know what works. We're just not doing it, or not doing it nearly fast enough to avert 2 degrees of warming, which is the agreed-upon threshold for especially dangerous climate change (read more about that target at CNN.com/2degrees).Frederic Vivenot brought his 7-year-old daughter, Chloe, to leave her pink sneakers at the Place de la République in Paris.We owe it to ourselves and the planet to collaborate on this. After seeing the moving display of shoes on Sunday, which included footwear sent by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Pope Francis, I remain hopeful about COP21.The world's attention is on Paris. The gravity of climate change is becoming clear. Now it's time to walk together toward a cleaner future.Sign up for the Two° newsletterFollow John Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-11-29 00:44:59

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/28/opinions/sutter-cop21-paris-preview-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change is a form of terror (Opinion) - CNN

Two Degrees: On the eve of COP21 climate talks in Paris, CNN's John D. Sutter says global warming is a longer-term form of terrorism, one we're bad at fighting.

Global climate change, global warming, what is climate, COP21 Paris, opinions, Climate change is a form of terror (Opinion) - CNN

Climate change is a form of terror

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Tell him how you fear climate change could affect you personally, and you could be part of CNN's coverage. You can also subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Maubeuge, France (CNN)Four months and 1,300 miles ago, Erlend Moster Knudsen started running. Starting line: Arctic Norway. Destination: a U.N. climate change summit in Paris.I met the aerobically inclined climate scientist on the road last week in northern France. He ran (he is on his fourth pair of shoes) while I biked behind him, struggling to keep up.Freezing rain and snow pelted our faces as we traveled past misty fields, tile-roofed villages and Edward Scissorhands shrubbery. The whole thing was exhausting, but Knudsen, a 29-year-old with sandy hair, a scraggly beard and a Spandex-meets-DayGlo wardrobe, wasn't fazed by any of it. He seemed to thrive on the Fargo-like conditions."I love the snow!" he said, darting up a hill.JUST WATCHEDSecurity concerns in Paris ahead of climate summitReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSecurity concerns in Paris ahead of climate summit 02:51These are difficult times, as I don't need to remind you. ISIS is on everyone's mind, especially here in France, where at least 130 people were killed in a recent terror attack. Fear cloaks this country like a persistent fog, and many observers worry that the threat of terror will infect the upcoming U.N. climate change summit, called COP21, which begins Monday in a Parisian suburb. Read MoreBut spending a day with Knudsen gave me a healthy dose of optimism in addition to sore thighs. There's ample reason to believe the U.N. talks will help shove the world off of fossil fuels and toward a cleaner future. All we have to do is what Knudsen recommends: Put one foot in front of the other, remember why we're here, and carry with us an important collection of stories.Another form of terrorLike Knudsen's past several months, my year has been a prelude to the Paris summit. But with, you know, less running. JUST WATCHEDChina looks to make progress with climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHChina looks to make progress with climate change 02:32I've spent most of 2015 taking your questions about climate change and turning them into stories as part of CNN's Two° series. If you've been reading along, you know that 2 degrees Celsius is the number at the center of the upcoming Paris negotiations. Pretty much every country in the world has signed a treaty saying that 2 degrees Celsius of warming, measured since the Industrial Revolution, is all we can tolerate. Cross that line, and we're expected to supercharge droughts, make storms more intense, commit low-lying islands to a watery death as seas rise, push millions more into poverty and put many plants and animals at risk of extinction. It's not an exact trigger point (1.9 degrees of warming is monumentally less catastrophic than 2.1 degrees, for instance), but diplomats had to draw a line in the sand. And everyone agrees that 2 degrees of warming is too much.JUST WATCHEDWhere does '97% consensus' on climate change come from?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhere does '97% consensus' on climate change come from? 02:55Yet we don't act like it. We've already warmed the climate about 1 degree Celsius. We're essentially locked into 1.5 degrees of warming based on all of the pollution we've pumped into the atmosphere, primarily by burning fossil fuels for heat and electricity. And pollution-reduction pledges logged by more than 140 countries in advance of the Paris talks promise to slow warming only to an estimated 2.7 degrees by the end of the century. Signs of warming abound: 2015 promises to be the hottest year on record; a heat wave in India killed 2,300 people this summer; air pollution is killing far more people all the time; floods in the United States likely have been made worse by higher-than-normal tides; there's evidence that a drought in Syria helped create conditions that led to the rise of ISIS. We humans, however, are excellent at ignoring long-term global problems -- like climate change. We focus on what's right in front of us. The recent terror attacks are tragic, and many lives will never be the same because of them. They should not be minimized. But climate change is another form of terror -- and it's one we're wreaking on ourselves. Can we avoid climate apocalypse?'Worst-case scenario'Being pessimistic about that is understandable, especially since previous attempts to use international politics to fix the climate problem largely have failed. JUST WATCHEDWhen climate change wipes your country off the mapReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhen climate change wipes your country off the map 05:22Before I spent a day with the running climate scientist, I spoke with Yvo de Boer, former head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the group that gets diplomats together to talk about the climate crisis. De Boer famously was moved to tears when a previous round of climate negotiations started to collapse. "There's a certain risk that political ambition trips over bureaucratic complexities," he told me by phone. "There is this 50-odd-page document, which still contains many areas of disagreement. That stands between the beginning of the Paris conference and a successful outcome at the end. Very often at these conferences, the devil is in the detail."My worst-case scenario," he continued, "is the one that we seem to see at almost every climate conference, which is that it needs to go into significant overtime."With 2 degrees on the horizon, there's no time for delay.JUST WATCHEDMarshall Islands can't survive 2 degrees of warmingReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMarshall Islands can't survive 2 degrees of warming 03:10Recently, there was much optimism ahead of the Paris climate talks. China and the United States, the world's two biggest polluters, have pledged significant cuts in carbon pollution. The Obama administration rejected the Keystone XL pipeline, which was a symbolic boost for efforts to get the world off of dirty fuels like oil and coal. The Pope has been helping people finally see climate change as a moral crisis, one that will hit the world's poor the hardest. And solar power is getting much cheaper.But along came ISIS. Now, massive public demonstrations at COP21 have been canceled, and a malaise hangs over the entire process.COP21: Police, protestors clash in Paris as world leaders arriveJUST WATCHEDChallenges of achieving climate consensusReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHChallenges of achieving climate consensus 03:31Knudsen, the running climate scientist, thought about abandoning his Pole to Paris journey because of the terror attacks on November 13. He canceled public events he'd planned in Brussels, and he knows that his arrival in Paris probably will be met with little fanfare. He'd imagined hundreds of people running with him into the French capital. Now he's not sure whether his arrival, probably later this week, he told me, will be noticed by much of anybody (You can follow his progress on the Pole to Paris website, as well as the path of a colleague biking from New Zealand). When I met him in Maubeuge, France, on November 23, he gave a talk to a room of 50 chairs, all but six of them empty.It's clear the world's attention was elsewhere.In pictures: Climate protests around the world'Pole to Paris'"Great weather!" Knudsen yelled back at me as we crested a snowy hill. He did that kind of thing all day. He somehow found energy to grin constantly and cheer me on while I sweated through six layers of clothing, struggling to do once, on a bike, what he does daily on foot. Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – As world leaders prepare to make major promises on climate change, CNN wants to know the little ways that you try to help the planet. Here are our ideas - what are yours? Share your tips with #CNNGoGreen. It's estimated that over 90 million pieces of clothing end up in landfills each year. You can reduce your impact by avoiding synthetic fibers (made from damaging chemicals) and buying clothes made with natural fibers such as cotton or wool, which break down in landills. And as fashion sustainability champion Vivienne Westwood said simply, "Choose well, buy less."Hide Caption 1 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – Beef is one of the livestock that takes a big toll on the environment. The UN estimates that cattle rearing and slaughtering accounts for 65% of the meat industry's greenhouse emissions. It's not just in terms of the methane cows produce -- they also require lot more water and land than sheep, chicken or pigs, which causes deforestation. Hide Caption 2 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – Buying something brand new uses up resources, while trashing something causes further waste. Electronics can be repaired, clothing can be mended and furniture upcycled or restored. Hide Caption 3 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – Put your money where your mouth is! Commercial interest in renewables is on the rise. The Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance reported a 17% surge in global investments in green energy last year, which is now worth $270billion worldwide. Hide Caption 4 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – If you can't avoid producing significant emissions, try to make up for it. This isn't only through planting trees -- you can also use green energy in your home or invest in hydro or wind power.Hide Caption 5 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – The transportation sector accounts for 27% of all greenhouse gas emission in the U.S. alone. So unless the face-to-face meeting is absolutely necessary, stay put. Hide Caption 6 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – According to British NGO Waterwise, some old-fashioned toilets use 13 liters of water every flush -- over 6 times the amount of the recommended daily use. Using a dual flush toilet can save water. Switching to a "low flow" shower head reduces the amount of water usage, and maintains the power of a normal shower. Hide Caption 7 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – The number of vehicles available through car-sharing schemes looks set to increase -- helping you save money while also saving the planet. With handbags, outfits, power tools and bikes all available to borrow, the "shareconomy" is in full swing.Hide Caption 8 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – International shipping and transport contributes to around 25% of the CO2 emissions of most developed countries. The ingredients of local food and drinks are easier to trace too, while you can feel good about supporting local producers. Hide Caption 9 of 10 Photos: The illustrated guide to saving the planet#CNNGoGreen – Heating not only produces CO2, but also nitrogen oxides -- which are 300 times as powerful in warming the planet. In the U.S., 12% of all sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions are caused by cranking the heat. Added bonus: Using smart tech to save energy in the home means you'll save cash on bills. What are your green tips? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #CNNGoGreen.Will Worley contributed to this story.Hide Caption 10 of 10He told me he's always been drawn to extremely remote, cold places, which I guess makes sense for a Norwegian guy who studies the Arctic. His unyielding optimism could be annoying if it weren't so genuine. It starts to become contagious. By the end of the day, I found myself happily swishing through puddles on the bike, trying to give back some encouragement to Knudsen and two friends -- Zoé Favart, 25; and Oria Jamar de Bolsée, 24 -- who were joining him on this part of his European expedition.His sunny demeanor has a clear source. Each morning, before lacing up his shoes and putting on still-wet clothes from the day before, Knudsen asks himself two questions: "What's the goal of the day?" And "Why am I doing this?"The answer to the first question often is fairly obvious: Today I want to survive, give an interesting presentation or tolerate a pesky CNN crew. Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Paris' usually jam-packed roads went car-free for a day on September 27. Hide Caption 1 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Madrid's vehicle-free zone now extends to over one square mile to reduce the pollution that sometimes covers the city with a murky brown film. A plan to close off 24 of the city's busiest streets is likely to be approved early next year. Hide Caption 2 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Hong Kong is mulling over plans to make one section of its bustling downtown a bit more eco-friendly. A range of civic groups have proposed to make Des Veoux Road in Central, a major city artery, pedestrian-only. Hide Caption 3 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Trams will be the only kind of vehicles allowed in the zone, if the concept was approved. Members of the public will be asked to vote for their favorite plan next month. Hide Caption 4 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? China may perform miserably overall when it comes to air pollution but by 2020, this is what Great City, a town outside of Chengdu, China is projected to look like. It's been designed so that the distance between any two points in the city should be walkable within about 15 minutes, eliminating the need for cars. Hide Caption 5 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Scheduled for completion in 2020, it will accommodate up to 80,000 people, planners Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture Designs said, and residents can make use of a system of electric shuttles.Hide Caption 6 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Abu Dhabi in the UAE is building what they say will be the world's first zero-carbon city. Not only will it be free of cars and skyscrapers, it will be solar-powered. Hide Caption 7 of 8 Photos: Are cars in cities a thing of the past? Emiratis will have to give up their gas-guzzling SUVs in this town. The city plans to use driverless electric pod cars to transport people. Hide Caption 8 of 8The answer to the second is more interesting. It usually has something to do with the people Knudsen has met en route. Like Laila Inga, an indigenous woman in the Arctic who, he told me, is having trouble surviving as a reindeer herder because of changes in the climate. The snow is melting and refreezing more often, he said, making it difficult for reindeer to nuzzle through the ice to reach the vegetation hiding below. Knudsen feels a responsibility to carry Inga's story to Paris. I feel similarly obliged to be a vessel for stories from the front lines after visiting, on your behalf, places that will be destroyed by 2 degrees of warming (the Marshall Islands) as well as those helping us beat that goal (a reservation in Montana).I hope someone in Paris is ready to listen.Sign up for the Two° newsletterFollow John Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter and Matthew Gannon, CNN

2015-11-23 14:37:20

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/opinions/sutter-coal-montana-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change: The community that stood up to coal - CNN

Two Degrees: John D. Sutter visits the Northern Cheyenne Indian reservation, which has become an island of intact prairie in a sea of coal mines.

opinions, Climate change: The community that stood up to coal - CNN

The community that stood up to coal

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting from the COP21 climate talks in Paris. What do you want to know? Send him a message on Snapchat (add jdsutter), Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. And subscribe to the Two° newsletter to follow along.Lame Deer, Montana (CNN)Kenneth Medicine Bull remembers the warning.Don't dig up the coal "even if we become the poorest of the poor," the 59-year-old elder on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation recalls his grandfather saying. Leave the coal beneath our feet and in the ground. Fast-forward nearly 50 years: The Powder River Basin, an oval-shaped area of Montana and Wyoming that includes the Northern Cheyenne's land, has become the most productive coal-mining zone in the country. Forty percent of U.S. coal is mined here.Yet, none of that coal is from the reservation.Read MoreSome of the world's largeset coal mines are in the Powder River Basin, which spans parts of Wyoming and Montana. It remains an island of intact prairie in a sea of coal development. I think much of the reason that's true is stories like the one Medicine Bull remembers. Similar anti-coal edicts date back to at least the 1800s. These stories -- like the mirrored creeks you find here in Montana -- flow swiftly and surely, from one generation to the next.I recently visited the tribe's reservation in that "big sky" part of the Western United States, where fences don't obscure the horizon, hawk calls echo between sandstone ridges, the air smells of sage, and where clouds move so fast their shadows look like blue whales swimming across valleys of native prairie grass. I hoped to learn how this American Indian nation has succeeded at ditching coal where so many others have failed.As world leaders grapple with how to put the brakes on dangerous climate change, I figured the story of this invisible community could offer the rest of us some advice. But I was surprised by what I found. This place is full of inspiration, to be sure -- home to wonderful, brave people. Yet it's also a cautionary tale. Turns out, you can oppose coal all you want. But, even in 2015, when the market for coal is crashing and concerns about public health and climate change are on high, that doesn't mean you'll be able to stop burning it. Or keep it from burning you. Carbon budgets Before I introduce you to some people I met on the reservation, I need to make something clear: The Northern Cheyenne's war against coal isn't a local story. It's one of global importance. We have to decide to recognize that. World leaders are gathering in Paris on November 30 for perhaps the most important climate change negotiations in history. The goal: Stop warming short of 2 degrees Celsius, measured as a temperature increase since the industrial revolution. That's the danger zone for global warming -- when droughts are expected to get even more supercharged, many species are put at increased risk for extinction and low-lying island nations drown beneath rising seas.Nearly every country has agreed 2 degrees is too much. But few seem to realize the scale of change required to meet that target.One way to make sense of it is to look at the "carbon budget," which refers to the idea that there's only so much carbon pollution we can put in the atmosphere and still hope to stop warming short of 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The carbon budget is somewhere around 2,900 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide pollution, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Between the industrial revolution and 2011, we burned about 1,900 billion tonnes -- or about two-thirds of the budget, said Kelly Levin, a senior associate at the World Resources Institute. Her group estimates we could blow the target as soon as 2033.In other words: We're frighteningly close to the danger zone. The scale of action required to avoid disastrous warming is incredible.In a letter published this year in the journal Nature, Christophe McGlade and Paul Ekins devised what they consider to be the most economical way to tighten our purse strings and stay within the carbon budget. Their striking suggestion: The world should leave 88% of its coal, 52% of its natural gas and 35% of its oil unburned.That's means most fossil fuel reserves must stay underground.In the United States, the picture is even starker. McGlade and Ekins say it would be prudent and economically efficient to keep our hands off of 95% of all coal reserves. (That leaves greater latitude to burn natural gas from the United States, which pollutes about half as much as coal. The model only puts 6% of U.S. natural gas off limits, for example. It's also worth noting that this scenario does not assume widespread use of carbon capture and storage technology. If that technology improves, it could be used to reduce carbon emissions somewhat, but that technology wouldn't shift these numbers significantly; 92% of U.S. coal still would need to remain unburned). Take a look at that coal number again. Ninety-five percent of all U.S. reserves. Left alone, unburned. Think about the scale of change required to make that happen. The coal industry, of course, argues we're not up to the task."Discussions about leaving coal in the ground are, quite simply, not grounded in reality or reason," Betsy Monseu, CEO of the American Coal Council, wrote in an e-mail. "They effectively ignore the plight of the 1.3 billion people on earth who do not have access to electricity, and nearly double that number who have inadequate access to electricity."In the context of what it would take to meet the 2-degree target, the story of the Northern Cheyenne could seem either hopelessly small -- or hugely symbolic, and I'm leaning toward the latter. The reservation sits on an estimated 23 billion tons of coal, of which perhaps 5 billion to 6 billion is mineable from the surface, said Alexis Bonogofsky, a 35-year-old climate change activist and goat farmer who lives near Billings, Montana. The tribe's land neighbors a proposed coal mine, called Otter Creek, which is projected to hold an additional 1.5 billion tons. Under the analysis published by McGlade and Ekins, the most economical and, in their view, fairest way to meet the 2 degrees target is to leave 245 billion tonnes of U.S. coal unburned. Globally, it's 887 billion tonnes of the stuff. So will the tribe move the global needle? Maybe not. Is their struggle significant? Absolutely. "I look at southeast Montana as sort of the epicenter of energy issues in the country," said Bonogofsky, the climate activist. "It is a place that holds billions of tons of coal, the most of any place in the country. Twenty-five percent of the United States' resources are in Montana. "It is a place that coal companies are looking to, to expand their reserves. And it is a place where people have fought for over 30 years to keep that coal in the ground."In other words, it's a place the rest of us should get to know. 'Worth fighting for'Forgive the Trump-ism, but the Northern Cheyenne reservation isn't exactly the kind of place that's used to winning. That doesn't mean they're losers, of course. (They helped defeat U.S. Lt. Col. George Custer at the Battle of Little Bighorn, for example). But glance at some of the local nomenclature and you get a sense of the tribe's underdog psyche.Main town: Lame Deer, Montana. Top school: Chief Dull Knife College. Revered leader: Chief Little Wolf. Lame Deer, Montana, is home to 2,000 of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation's 4,900 residents.The names hint at the arc of the tribe's history, too. The Northern Cheyenne creation story, for example, as told to me by locals, involves a series of beautiful birds diving to the bottom of the ocean before there was land on Earth. Each hoped to snag a piece of dirt from the bottom of the sea. And, one by one, each beautiful bird -- long necks, slender legs -- came up empty-beaked. Finally, a scrawny little bird plunged into the watery abyss. The last bird's beak was squat, his figure stout.No one expected much. But the ugly bird struck dirt. The Creator used that hunk of clay to mold the surface of the Earth. The Northern Cheyenne occupy nearly 700 square miles of it. They've been through hell to keep that land. While the neighboring Crow Tribe -- home to Custer Battlefield Trading Post and other tourist attractions -- cooperated with the United States government in the 1800s, negotiating the status of their (much larger) reservation, the Northern Cheyenne refused to cede land. They lost it, and were forced south to Indian Territory, which now is Oklahoma. Always long on determination if short on resources, the tribe didn't accept that fate. In 1878, Chief Little Wolf and Chief Dull Knife led an escape from Indian Territory, marching tribal members back north toward their homeland in the heart of winter. Some people died en route, and others were imprisoned, only to flee again and continue the trek. More than 10,000 soldiers reportedly were dispatched to try to stop the reverse migration.Upon arriving in Montana, months later, Kenneth Medicine Bull and others told me, Chief Little Wolf, who had led one band of escapees, performed a religious ceremony in which he declared this land sacred.The message to many here: Never tear up the land. And never mine coal.These stories float in the breeze on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. You don't have to wander around long to hear them. They've helped forge the identity of this place, and, to me, they help explain why so many people on the reservation won't consider coal development. It's antithetical to who they are, which is people who offer gifts to nature when they hunt, or collect water, and who can't think of a way to replace the damage that would be done by unearthing fossil fuels. "My love for this place is so deep," said Vanessa Braided Hair, the 31-year-old co-founder of a local environmental group called ecoCheyenne. "It's who I am. My ancestors loved it, too. And they loved it so much that they walked for thousands of miles from Oklahoma in the middle of the winter, fought cavalry ... no food, no warm clothing, and they still made it here. They brought us home to the Otter Creek Valley. And so that deep love that they have, I carry it, too."And I think that's worth fighting for."Climate change, Braided Hair and others told me, only adds to the moral imperative. It's given their local struggles a new and profound sense of global urgency. It's linked them to the rest of us.'Little Saudi Arabia'To understand how deep these sentiments run you need to meet Willamette Rising Sun, a 47-year-old mother whose home thermostat read 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) on the sunny afternoon I visited. "How long has your electricity been off?"Willamette Rising Sun's home in Lame Deer, Montana, doesn't have electricity. The family has huddled together in this room for warmth."Since the beginning of August," she told me. Rising Sun, like many here, is unemployed and can't pay the electric bill. She, her partner, and her two children had been huddling together to try to stay warm during the chilly Montana nights. They stuff blankets around the window and door frame to keep body heat in. A SpongeBob blanket and stuffed horse are piled on two pushed-together beds.A couple of nights before I arrived, in late October, she said she'd taken her children -- ages 4 and 5 -- to her mother's house because the temperatures became unbearable. "The walls are always cold," she said.That someone would go without heat in a house that sits on top of a massive energy reserve seems to me to be the height of irony.Situations like this -- along with the unthinkable unemployment rate (78%, according to the tribal government) and rampant poverty (the tribe says median household income is $14,417 per year) -- are cited by some locals as evidence it's time for coal. "It's really romantic to talk about not developing coal resources, but the poverty here is just horrendous at best," the tribe's economic development director, Steven Clinton Small, told me. "It's a plague," he said of local poverty..It's not that this pro-coal crowd wants to abandon the tribe's history and the teachings of Little Wolf. But they think the tribe has to figure out how to make money somehow. They are, after all, standing on a coal mine. Or "Little Saudi Arabia," as Antoinette Red Woman called it. "Our tribe is rich with coal. It's underneath our feet everywhere we walk," she told me, sitting outside her apartment complex, which has solar panels on the roof. "I'm very conscious of our environment. However, we need this coal development. We desperately need it. ... There are no jobs, nowhere, for our young people, so they leave. ... I believe if coal was developed, wisely, that it would give our people jobs. They could stay home and make a living."I don't blame Red Woman for believing that. Especially given the context. She only has to look across the tribe's western border, to the neighboring Crow Reservation, to see that dirty fuel can make a person money. The Crow have allowed coal mining on their land, or land they own the mineral rights to. The royalties fund language and cultural programs -- and also show up in the form of three-times-a-year checks to all members, said Dana Wilson, vice-chairman of the tribe.Those payments, he told me, range from $25 to $700 per person. Again, three times a year.Plus, there's employment. Coal jobs pay $25 to $31 an hour, plus benefits, according to Curt Lightle, president of Westmoreland Resources Inc., which operates a local mine.Yet, even knowing that, many Northern Cheyenne have steadfastly shunned coal. They rejected development in a public vote. And just this year, the Tribal Council passed a resolution opposing the construction of a railroad that would help bring coal out of the area and connect it with infrastructure that could haul it to the West Coast and eventually Asia. It's not without controversy. But it keeps happening. That the tribe would continue to oppose fossil fuels may seem like common sense to those of us who sit comfortably at computers all day, reading headlines about how coal is toast, how natural gas (which is only half as dirty as coal) and renewable energy are getting cheaper and smarter, and how climate change is going to push fossil fuels soon into the history books. But out here, the level of opposition to coal is frankly shocking when you consider the incentives.The nearby Crow Reservation has encouraged coal mining. Members receive royalty payments three times per year.Take Rising Sun, the mom without heat. Even she opposes coal mining."They would tear up the land," she said of the coal companies. "And, to me, I think (the land is) more important than all the money. So, in the future, my kids would have a place to call home."This is a moral stand. And one that, sadly, has come with a price. Coal everywhereCoal is everywhere on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. You see bands of it sticking out of ruddy, sandstone hills as you drive through the expansive country. If you wander off the road very far you're liable to step on the stuff. It can be powdery, and squishes beneath your feet like a Styrofoam mattress. It's not visible everywhere, to be sure, but even when it's out of eyesight, you remember it's there. It's kind of like a ghost in that way. Renewable energy leaves less of an impression. There's that apartment complex with solar panels on the roof. And a house or two with a solar heater in the backyard. Rumor has it there's a guy up in the hills who's totally off the grid. But there's no obvious transition to clean energy happening here.Vanessa Braided Hair, the co-founder of ecoCheyenne, is trying to kick-start the revolution, and she's racing against the clock. Pro-coal voices seem to be getting louder on the reservation: You'll find some in the tribal government, and elections are coming up next year. She worries those voices eventually could eclipse the desires of tribal members, like her, who see climate change as a moral crisis and coal as the enemy of spirituality and history. When she's not fighting coal, you sometimes can find her fighting wildfires, which is something her aunt -- also a firefighter -- recommended she start doing during college. This year is the first wildfire season she's taken off since 2003. She's spending the time instead trying to rally the tribe for climate action -- and against the proposed Otter Creek Coal Mine, which would dig up a pine-ridge valley just east of the reservation. Coal already has chewed up land on three sides of the tribe's territory. This would be the fourth. Braided Hair and Bonogofsky, the climate activist from Billings, are working to build an unlikely coalition of people who oppose coal and support renewable energy. They include local Amish farmers as well as Wally McRae, a self-described "cowboy poet." (In a poem titled "The Land," he writes, "You'd ravish her with mindless lust / Then curse her for a whore / You've never loved her as I have / Or you'd respect her more.")They've gotten grants to do small renewable energy projects. Others have helped weatherize and insulate homes. But there's no real energy revolution afoot here, not yet. Braided Hair knows wildfires in the Western United States are expected to increase in size -- at least 400%, according to one report -- if the world misses its target of limiting warming to 2 degrees. She also knows that fire takes on a strange character out here in coal country. Sometimes lightning will strike a coal seam, open to the ground, setting it alight. Those coal seam fires can smolder for years beneath the surface, inside sandstone cliffs.Vanessa Braided Hair and others are trying to start a local clean energy revolution, but they lack needed resources.You know they're there. That fire-pit smell. Braided Hair is determined to keep fighting."If we weren't resilient, if we didn't persevere as people, we wouldn't be here," she told me. "So you can't give up. That's one of the things that my ancestors and my grandparents and the other leaders have said. 'Never give up.' We can't. You can't give up on yourself. And you can't give up on the people. It's been really, really emotionally, physically and mentally draining to do this work. But I know it's so important. And there's no way that I can give up."'Impossible'On my last night on the Northern Cheyenne reservation, I stopped by the house of Kenneth Medicine Bull, the man who told me about his grandfather's prophecy. Coyotes howled at the night sky. Cedar burned on a wood stove, making the place smell like a ski lodge.The fire provides heat and a little morale boost: Medicine Bull feels better about burning wood than coal. He keeps his lights off most of the time, using only a small desk lamp when necessary to tinker with traditional jewelry at his desk near the kitchen. Medicine Bull has spent his life opposing coal development. He gives much of his energy to the cause. But it troubles me that Medicine Bull and the rest of the Northern Cheyenne can't avoid the fact that their electricity, like 40% of the United States, comes from burning this dirty fuel.Vanessa Braided Hair is the co-founder of ecoCheyenne, a local environmental group that opposes fossil fuel extraction.Sitting there, talking with Medicine Bull, I realized something: None of us really has a choice about how our power is made. There aren't four light switches on my wall, one for wind, solar, hydro and coal. It's easy to feel incredibly small in the face of our mammoth energy system. Fighting fossil fuel development at its source has similar obstacles. The process is so piecemeal. The Northern Cheyenne have banded together with a tribe in Washington state, for example, whose homelands are threatened by a proposed coal export port. That tribe, the Lummi Nation, made a trek out here to Montana recently to bring a totem pole carved with local animals. It's a symbol of solidarity: We stand together against coal. The Northern Cheyenne haven't been able to agree where to erect the totem, however, and, during my visit, it sat beneath a tarp in the bed of a pickup truck. Coal still has a voice in the community. And, without other forms of economic development, it will gain a foothold. Anyone who followed the Keystone XL oil pipeline saga knows that it's the current strategy of the environmental movement to cut off the infrastructure that supports the dirty fuels. The idea is to deprive these projects of the oxygen they need to survive. Groups popped up all along that pipeline, lending their voices. This sends a powerful message, and I'm a firm believer in collective action, but why does this burden fall on the backs of those who simply happen to live on or near fossil fuel reserves, or who've made their homes along a railroad or a pipeline route?It shouldn't. It should be on the rest of us, and our leaders. We should live in a world where public officials and industry support a swift transition toward clean energy and away from dangerous coal, oil and natural gas. We should be able to turn on our lights and know we're not compelling coastlines to disappear, pushing species toward extinction and, according to a recent World Bank report, sending millions into poverty.Maybe we need to tax carbon pollution. Maybe we need a cap and trade system, and carbon markets. Maybe we need world leaders -- from China to the United States to India and Saudi Arabia -- to send a clear signal that the era of dirty fuels is over. That we will no longer allow polluting the atmosphere, and putting the vulnerable at risk, to make short-term economic gains and pad corporate pocketbooks.This is happening in many parts of the world, and the price of natural gas has done wonders to encourage utilities in the United States to move away from coal. President Obama's Clean Power Plan offers yet another blow. But these efforts are so disjointed. We need clear policy. Global collaboration. The Northern Cheyenne shouldn't have to shoulder this burden. At the end of our interview, Medicine Bull closed his eyes and started singing. I hadn't asked him to do this, but he felt it necessary.I asked what the song meant. That was a song our ancestors sang when they marched through the snow and back to this land, he said. They used it to mark the borders of the territory. It claimed the land as sacred.That song -- that story -- has been a guiding light for this community. It flows through their veins, gives them a sense of purpose, reminds them who they are and will become. If only the rest of us were so grounded. We might offer this community more support.And we'd certainly think twice before digging up coal. Note: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect figure for the amount of land occupied by the Northern Cheyenne. It's nearly 700 square miles, not 700 acres.Sign up for the Two° newsletterFollow John Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-09-29 10:17:42

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/29/opinions/sutter-beef-suv-cliamte-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change: Why beef is the new SUV (Opinion) - CNN

Cows and global warming? For CNN's Two Degrees series, John D. Sutter traces the carbon footprint of a plate of beef brisket from Snow's BBQ in Texas.

Beef, Business and industry sectors, Consumer products, Food and drink, Food products, Kinds of foods and beverages, Meat products, climate change, climate, global warming, 2 degrees, two degrees, john d. sutter, john sutter, opinions, Climate change: Why beef is the new SUV (Opinion) - CNN

Why beef is the new SUV

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat.Lexington, Texas (CNN)This is the story of a giant pile of beef.Well, 1.27 pounds (0.58 kilos) of brisket, to be exact.But before I get into the business of explaining where this meat came from, and why eating this stuff has a massive, unexpected effect on climate change, I feel the need to confess something: That huge slab of brisket, which came to me by way of Snow's BBQ, a delightful shack of a place out here in the heart of Texas beef country, easily was one of the most food-orgasm-y things I've tasted. The phrase "OHMYGOD" dropped out of my mouth, involuntarily. And I don't eat much meat. Read MoreA colleague of mine had a better line. "I mean, f--- Al Gore, right?"I write about climate change for a living and appreciate what the former U.S. vice president has done (or has tried to do, in his own wooden way) to raise awareness about what I consider to be one of the most critical issues facing the planet and people. But, in that moment, I had to laugh and agree with my co-worker. Forget the climate.This stuff was too good.Here, take a look. Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas, was rated the best barbecue in the state by Texas Monthly in 2008.Daniel Vaughn, BBQ editor at Texas Monthly, and the No.1 carnivore I know -- this is a man who has developed white bumps on his tongue, apparently from failing to eat nonmeat food groups -- helped me dissect the meal. Note the salt-and-pepper "bark" at the edge of the meat, the red tree rings where the smoke that cooks the beef, slowly, overnight, has left its artistic mark. The cloudlike strips of beef were so tender locals insist you peel them apart with your fingers, not a fork and knife.Knowing the beef's backstory only adds to the experience. The barbecue "pitmaster" at Snow's is 80-year-old Norma Frances Tomanetz. White hair, red apron. Everyone calls her "Tootsie." Tootsie's shift starts at 9 p.m. and ends the next day after about 600 pounds of beef have been served. Her recipe is simple: salt and pepper. And, in addition to working here -- again, at age 80 -- she also serves as a middle-school custodian, helps manage a cattle ranch and takes care of two sick family members. (They could use your prayers, by the way.)Texas beef people are lovably tough. You want to root for them. But there's "an inconvenient truth" about beef consumption, too, as I would discover on a trip through the supply chain of that meal: Beef is awful for the climate. Don't blame me alone for bearing the bad news. In a Facebook poll, thousands of you overwhelmingly voted for me to report on meat's contribution to climate change as part of CNN's Two° series. You commissioned this highly personal topic over more widely feared climate change bad guys such as coal, deforestation and car pollution.Cattle and climate? They're not often used in the same sentence. But eating beef, as I'll explain, has come to be seen, rightly, in certain enviro circles, as the new SUV -- a hopelessly selfish, American indulgence; a middle finger to the planet. It's not the main driver of global warming -- that's burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation -- but it does contribute significantly. Globally, 14.5% of all greenhouse gas pollution can be attributed to livestock, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, the most reputable authority on this topic. And a huge hunk of the livestock industry's role -- 65% -- comes from raising beef and dairy cattle. Take a look at how beef compares with other foods. The world is faced with the herculean task of trying to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius, measured as an increase of global temperature since the start of the Industrial Revolution, when humans began burning fossil fuels. That's the point at which climate change is expected to get especially dangerous, leading to megadroughts, mass extinctions and a sea-level rise that could wipe low-lying countries off the map. That one little number -- 2 degrees -- is the subject of international negotiations in December in Paris, which are critical if we're to avert catastrophe.We've already warmed the atmosphere 0.8 degrees Celsius since the Industrial Revolution; and the World Bank says we're locked in to at least 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming based on the pollution we've already put into the atmosphere. It will be hard to meet the 2-degree goal no matter what; it will be impossible if livestock pollution isn't part of the mix, said Doug Boucher, a PhD ecologist and evolutionary biologist who is director of climate research and analysis at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "We can't hit that goal without it," he told me. In Texas, as in most places, however, no one seems too worried."Everybody here in Central Texas goes for beef," Tomanetz told me. "People are gonna eat what they wanna eat -- what their appetites call for."Any vegetarians around? None she's knows, personally."They won't eat their beef," she said with a grin, "so somebody else will."70-mile mealIt wasn't long before I wished somebody else had.The night after I ate at Snow's, it felt like a grapefruit was trying to climb out of my esophagus. I ate 0.61 pounds of the beef I was served, leaving 0.66 pounds of the stuff on my tray. I gave the leftovers to a guy at the hotel desk because I couldn't stand to look at it anymore. I felt so crazy-uncomfortable, so full. The next morning, over a decidedly small, vegetarian breakfast, I calculated the climate change pollution associated with my massive meal. I did so with the help of data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and from Anne Mottet, livestock policy officer at the FAO.Result: Nearly 29 kilograms of CO2-equivalent gases. O'Brien Meats in Taylor, Texas, supplies high-quality beef to Snow's BBQ.From the atmosphere's perspective, that's about the same as burning enough fuel to drive an average American car 70 miles, or 113 kilometers. A 70-mile meal.*That's San Antonio to Austin, Texas.Granted, this is a beyond-ridiculously-oversized portion of meat. And, depending on how you calculate beef's climate footprint (Mottet, from the FAO, provided me with her organization's estimate for beef cattle raised in feedlots in North America), you could arrive at very different results. Regardless of the exact mileage, however, this is illustrative of an indisputable fact: Beef contributes to climate change in a substantial and outsize way. Why is that the case? And where does all of that pollution come from? I went on the road to find out. Where are you city slickers?First stop: I wanted to meet a cow like the one I ate at Snow's. And, as it turned out, I wouldn't need to travel far. Kerry Bexley, who opened Snow's BBQ with Tomanetz in 2003, owns a ranch nearby. Some of the cattle he raises may end up being smoked and served as brisket at the restaurant. Possibly even mine.If only I could find Bexley and his ranch. I kept getting lost en route.Where are you city slickers? he asked over the phone.We're close!I had no idea where we were.We drove maybe 20 miles (an estimated 0.36 pounds of North American beef, in terms of the climate pollution) out of the way before arriving at the rolling green pasture where Bexley raises about 65 or so "momma and baby" cows for slaughter. These cattle chomped on tufts of grass, making hilariously bug-eyed faces while we talked.Bexley is a gray-goateed guy with an endearing "King-of-the-Hill" twang in his voice. He doesn't think too much about climate change, but when he does he pictures factories and coal mines -- or highways packed with gas-belching cars. "I would picture the industries -- the large industries," he told me. "A coal-fired power plant or a chemical plant. I think of larger areas, industrial areas."Standing in the field, I found it hard to imagine, too.There's a bizarrely satisfying explanation for that, though. You don't see or hear the cattle burping. 'Cattle are very polite'If you want to talk about beef's contribution to climate change, you really have to talk about cow burps (and, to a lesser extent, farts).Scientists don't love the b-word, though."We call it eructation," said Andy Cole, retired research leader at the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory in Bushland, Texas, nearly eight hours by car from Bexley's ranch. (To avoid that, I flew from Austin. I know, not exactly green of me.)"Cattle are very polite," Cole told me. "They don't burp out loud." My bad. Sorry, cows. Regardless of verbiage, the focus for Cole and other scientists in Bushland is clear: They want to know how much climate-change pollution cows produce as part of their digestive process. I like to think of it as a Cow Burp Research Station.Cattle are very polite. They don't burp out loud.Andy ColeTheir work sounds silly, but it's vital for two reasons. One: Cattle digest food differently than we do. They're ruminant animals, meaning they have multichamber stomachs where a whole bunch of bacteria hang out waiting to digest cellulose from the grass they eat. Humans -- like all other nonruminants -- can't digest grass. Cows, goats and sheep can, which is fairly incredible when you think about it. They're taking plant material that is hard to digest, and not particularly nutritious, and making food out of it. One byproduct of this magical digestive process, however, is methane. An average cow in North America, raised in a feedlot, belches out 117 pounds (53 kilograms) of this stuff per year, according to 2006 guidelines from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Pigs and chickens don't do that. And two: Methane is a superpotent greenhouse gas, with 25 times as much global warming potential as carbon dioxide, which is the main climate villain. Understanding how and what we know about the climate-change emissions from beef is so important, because there's rampant misinformation on this topic. On one hand, you have activists who say, incorrectly, that eating meat, especially beef, is the main driver of climate change. It isn't. Fossil fuels are. (If you want to get into the weeds on that subject, take a look at this report in the journal Animal Feed Science and Technology. Oh, you don't subscribe?) Then, you have other environmentalists who claim beef shouldn't be a big part of the climate conversation -- since it will be impossible for the world to meet its climate targets if we don't get off fossil fuels pronto.Without jumping into the fray, researchers out here in the Texas Panhandle are collecting data that helps clear things up. They use all sorts of curious, sci-fi methods to try to understand exactly how much methane is produced. They put cattle inside metal chambers, for example, to measure their burps; they have specialized feeding systems that track how much methane comes out of their nostrils while they're eating a treat; and Richard Todd, a research soil scientist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, is experimenting with lasers as a way to track methane emissions coming off the pastures where cattle are raised. Todd has arranged these lasers -- "not the kind that will burn through steel or anything" -- in a crosshatch pattern over a field in the Texas Panhandle. The near-infrared lasers are set to a frequency that detects methane. Like all ruminant animals, cattle burp methane as they digest grass. Others, I'm told, are doing similar work from airplanes and cell phone towers. This invisible pollution adds up. According to the FAO, which bases some of its stats on work like this, 43% of global greenhouse gas emissions associated with beef cattle come from this "enteric fermentation" -- or methane burping.Thinking back to my meal at Snow's, about 12.5 of the 29 kilograms of CO2-equivalent gases came from burping cows. Of the estimated 70 miles you could drive on that much climate-change pollution, about 30 of them come from cow burps. It's the biggest part of beef's climate footprint.'Beef Capital of the World'Snow's BBQ buys all of its meat from a wholesaler called O'Brien Meats in Taylor, Texas. Outside, there's a life-size statue of a cow stuck to the front, like a mermaid on a pirate ship. Inside, I met lab-coat wearing butchers who trim slabs of brisket for Bexley's exacting specifications. You might think that transporting and refrigerating beef would be a big part of its contribution to climate change. But for all the talk of "food miles," processing, refrigeration and transit-related emissions from beef production only account for 8% of its footprint, according to the FAO.To use the miles analogy again, that's only 5.6 of 70 miles.Andy O'Brien, who runs the place, told me most of the meat he sells to Bexley likely comes from a feedlot in the Texas Panhandle, possibly in Hereford, Texas, the self-described "Beef Capital of the World," about 475 miles northwest of the meat shop in Taylor. So that's where I went next. Warren White, the cowboy-hat-and-jeans-wearing manager of Mc6 Cattle Feeders, a feedlot in Hereford, agreed to give me a tour. The first thing you notice about being anywhere near Hereford is the smell: the sweet-earthy stench of cow manure, strong enough to stick to your shoes.The smell, though, offers only a hint of how many cattle really are hanging out in this board-flat part of the country. At the Mc6 feedlot alone, the capacity is 55,000 head of cattle. Jayce Winters, spokeswoman for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, told me 3 million cattle live within a 150-mile (241-kilometer) radius of nearby Amarillo at any given time.More ruminant animals means more methane burps, of course. And more poop. About 5% of the emissions associated with beef, the FAO says, come from "manure storage and management." Walking around a feedlot can ping the this-seems-wrong center of your brain. The cattle are organized in numbered pens that seem to stretch to the horizon. Each animal has a number clipped to its ear, making the cattle look like some sort of now-defunct motorcycle gang. They poop and pee all over the place, sometimes while looking you right in the eye. Feedlots, which are where more than nine in 10 cattle in the United States spend part of their lives, are bemoaned by many environmentalists and animal rights activists for being allegedly cruel and for their contributions to water and air pollution. But, when it comes to the climate, feedlot ethics are anything but simple.That's because, according to some studies, feedlots actually are the most efficient way to raise beef cattle. This is logical when you think about it, and all comes back to what they're eating and how long it takes the cattle to grow to "slaughter weight."In a feedlot, cattle eat corn, not grass. So they don't produce as much methane. Plus, they're fattened up quickly, then killed. So, cynically, that means there's less time for them to pollute. That's partly why the U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association claims this country produces the "world's most sustainable beef."But to fully understand feedlots, you also need to understand the feed.'Just like Corn Flakes'White, the manager of Mc6 Cattle Feeders, walked me to the one part of his feedlot that smells, surprisingly, less like cow s--- and more like cereal.Tons of corn roared out of a grain elevator, landing in a massive heap. White picked up some of the stuff and sifted it around in his hand. It was still warm from on-site processing. "If you add sugar and milk, it'd be just like Corn Flakes," he said.At capacity, the cattle here consume 1.5 million pounds of the stuff per day.Where does it come from?Somewhere in the Midwest, he told me.The "somewhere" I visited on the final stop on this beef-climate odyssey was Auburn, Illinois. That's where I found Garry Niemeyer, a corn and soybean farmer, and former president of the National Corn Growers Association, who told me he sells most of his corn to feedlots such as White's in Hereford, Texas. (Some of it, he said, is used to produce ethanol and then byproduct of that becomes food for cattle.)I met him on the first day of harvest: September 8.Niemeyer and I rode in an air-conditioned tractor while enormous red "combine" machines started the several-day process of mowing through his rows of corn. These machines are incredible up close: They not only snap the corn stalks, they remove the ears of corn -- each stalk has only one -- and almost-instantly strip the school-bus-yellow kernels of corn off the dimpled cobs, and toss the cobs aside.It's not the harvest that creates the most climate pollution here, however.It's the fertilizer. The fertilizer farmers apply to corn -- which feeds many cattle -- also contributes to climate change. Niemeyer told me he "applies" 0.79 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per bushel of corn. Some of that is "knifed" into the ground with giant farm equipment, and other times it's sprinkled on the surface of the land. Some of it is liquid, some of it is solid pellets. Fertilizer is expensive stuff, and Niemeyer uses less than he used to -- down from 1.2 pounds per bushel in the 1990s, he told me, proudly noting that this reduces pollution in a nearby lake and the Gulf of Mexico, which suffers an oxygen-dead zone in the summer because of excessive fertilizer runoff.But it's still a huge amount. And one unwanted offshoot of all this fertilizer use -- and something people out here aren't thinking much about -- is nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is kind of the ultimate greenhouse gas. About 300 times as powerful as CO2.Largely because of fertilizer, producing food such as corn for beef cattle accounts for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions from beef and dairy, according to the FAO. When it comes to beef, it's second only to burps.Cutting down forests means you're cutting down trees, and half of the tree is carbon. When you burn it or let it rot, that produces carbon dioxide.Doug BoucherAnd growing food for our food takes a wider environmental toll. About 70% of this planet's agricultural land is used for livestock production, according to a 2006 report from the FAO. And in total, 30% of all terrestrial land on Earth -- all of it! -- is used for livestock.These are truly astounding figures. True, some of that land is well suited for cattle grazing. "Eighty-five percent of the land we produce cattle on in the United States isn't suitable for other food production," said Daren Williams, spokesman for the U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "You can't turn the Flint Hills of Kansas into spinach fields.""The argument that we should stop raising ruminant animals on land that is made for ruminant animals is frankly nonsense," he added. "We'd be taking vast amounts of land out of food production at a time when we need more not less" because of population growth.These land-use choices do matter, though.Internationally, for example, rainforests very often are cleared to make room for beef cattle. In the Amazon, cattle production accounts for an estimated 50% to 80% of all deforestation, according to Boucher from the Union of Concerned Scientists.Deforestation is one of the reasons beef from Latin America and the Caribbean is among the worst, per pound, in terms of its effect on climate change. (Europe, North America, Russia and Australia are among the more-efficient beef producers, according to the FAO.)"Cutting down forests means you're cutting down trees, and half of the tree is carbon," said Boucher. "When you burn it or let it rot, that produces carbon dioxide."Carbon dioxide, of course, is a heat-trapping gas. These so-called "land use changes" make up 15% of beef's overall contribution to climate change.'Meth corn'In Illinois, I watched cornfields zip by the window as Sean Bolton (spelled "like Michael Bolton," he told me) drove a truck full of Niemeyer's just-harvested corn down the highway to a towering grain elevator for storage. We could see a blue-gray rainstorm mounting on the horizon as we approached the drop-off.Bolton is 43 and has spent his life doing odd jobs here and there, driving trucks, installing office cubicles -- you name it. Lived all over: Texas, Phoenix, New Jersey, Idaho, Germany, Nebraska. He doesn't look past flaws in the corn industry. "It's like meth corn, I guess you could say," he told me. Meaning: This corn is grown with so much anhydrous ammonia, a fertilizer that's also an ingredient in methamphetamine ("You ever seen 'Breaking Bad?'" he asked), that you could compare it to an illicit drug. He sees this as somehow unnatural, which is a claim Niemeyer and others dispute, noting that technology and fertilizer have helped make corn much more resource-efficient.But what about climate change? Is Bolton concerned about that? "I think climate change is a government scare tactic," he said.Here's the thing, though: Whether he accepts climate science or not (the climate is changing, and we are to blame, as 97% of climate scientists agree), and whether he cares about beef's contribution to climate change or not, Bolton is eating less beef. "Me and the wife eat a lot of chicken and pork these last few years," he told me.Why? "Because the price of steak has just skyrocketed.""We splurge every now and then," he said, "but I'm not a billionaire, by any means."Bolton isn't alone. While the United States is one of the top meat-consuming countries, per capita, our rate of beef consumption actually has been leveling off for a decade or so. Take a look at the trend line.Chalk that up both to increasing prices and greater awareness. Beef now is seen as carrying a host of health, and, increasingly, environmental costs. But consumption is going up internationally, and the trend in the United States is not yet pronounced enough to breathe a sigh of relief. The FAO expects meat consumption to increase 73% by 2050, which could be disastrous for the climate. It's true there are some parts of the world where iron levels are low and where more meat consumption actually would be healthy and would combat malnutrition. But for the industrialized world, meat consumption already is seen by many as unhealthily high. There may be ways to use technology to make beef production more climate-efficient. Scientists are working on new types of cattle feed that will make cows less gassy and therefore less harmful to the climactic system. Researchers in Argentina have experimented with putting backpacks on cattle, using them as tanks to trap the methane they're burping. And, in the long term, other scientists, like those at Modern Meadow, are trying to engineer meat from cell "cultures," in hopes of minimizing ethical and environmental concerns about beef production.The mainstream industry also says it's making changes."Are we perfect? Absolutely not," said Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, a PhD animal biologist who is executive director of global sustainability at the U.S. National Cattlemen's Beef Association, an industry group. "But I think that this is an industry that gets very excited about continuous improvement. And sustainability is something that they hold very near and dear. It's very personal. They are the original stewards of the land."The beef industry in the United States reduced its climate emissions by 2% between 2005 and 2011, she told me, with much of that improvement coming from better packaging, with less plastic, better corn yields and faster-growing animals. Cutting back on food waste, Stackhouse-Lawson said, also would further reduce emissions from the livestock industry.The FAO, for its part, estimates that using local "best practices" for livestock production could reduce the sector's greenhouse gas emissions by 30% globally.That's not insignificant. But it's likely not as effective -- or immediate -- as cutting back on beef. 'Climate carnivore'Climate change is a numbers game. If we want to meet the goal of stopping warming short of 2 degrees -- which is of the utmost importance -- we have to cut back on pollution of all types. Fossil fuels must be the central part of these efforts. But beef, too, can be seen as essential. A 2014 study published in the journal Climatic Change makes this clear. If current meat-consumption trends continue, agricultural pollution will amount to 12 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent gases per year by 2050, the study's authors find. That amount of pollution alone could help put us on a path to whiz right by the 2-degree target, they write. With new (but expensive) technology, we might get to 8.3 billion tonnes. Better, but still not safe. Dietary changes would get us much further. If the world adopted a "climate carnivore" diet, in addition to the technology, for example, then agricultural emissions would drop to 4.9 billion tonnes in 2050. The authors define a "climate carnivore" as someone who replaces three-quarters of beef, ruminant and dairy meals with chicken or other nonmethane burping animals.I think of this as the Chick-fil-A approach. More chicken, less beef. Going for a "flexitarian" diet -- replacing three-quarters of beef or lamb meals with vegetables and other sources of protein that aren't meat and dairy -- goes further still, generating only 3.1 billion tonnes of agricultural pollution per year. Either way, "if you want to be certain to reach the 2-degree target, we have to reduce beef consumption," said Fredrik Hedenus, associate professor of energy and environment at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and the lead author of the report on beef's contribution to climate change.Other studies have shown fully vegetarian and vegan diets are, in fact, the most climate-friendly. Think about it: Vegetables are lower on the food chain, and therefore require fewer resources to produce. We don't have to raise food for our vegetables to eat; we do raise corn for cows. Those of you who go vegan or veggie should know that the climate thanks you. But moderate dietary changes would help us hit the 2-degree target, too.It wouldn't be so hard to become a "climate carnivore."If I'd ordered 1.27 pounds of whole chicken at Snow's BBQ, instead of beef, for example, I would have created climate pollution equivalent to driving 6.5 miles, not 70, according to a calculation using data provided by Anne Mottet, a livestock researcher at the FAO. If you want to be certain to reach the 2-degree target, we have to reduce beef consumption.Fredrik HedenusI understand these choices likely would have real, and unwelcome, effects on the beef industry. I'm torn about that, honestly, since I respect the people who helped produce the brisket I ate in Texas. I don't blame them directly for the emissions associated with their trade. But I've also stood on the shores of the Marshall Islands, which scientists say may no longer exist if seas rise as much as would be reasonably expected at 2 degrees Celsius of warming. Climate change, as Pope Francis and others have argued, will hurt the poor and vulnerable most. We all should do our part to help cut emissions. It's a moral imperative. And while I can't ensure, on my own, that my electricity comes from 100% renewable sources, I can decide what to eat. Our diets are a rare chance for us to take control of our climate footprints, as researchers explained to me. We don't need governments or utilities to help.Apathy is all that stands in the way.Two° challenge: Submit a 'climate carnivore' recipeI'd like to think people would try to reduce their climate footprints out of the goodness of their hearts, but incentives could provide a needed push. Perhaps boosting the price of beef should be considered. That worked on Sean Bolton, the truck driver in corn country. The European Union puts a price on carbon pollution from cars, for example, but doesn't apply those levies to beef and lamb, the carbon-heavy foods. Labeling should be up for discussion, too. I'd want to know, for example, how many pounds of CO2 are associated with steak versus fish. And if I saw that info in the grocery store, it might alter my choices. Whatever gets us there, those of us in the industrialized world -- where meat consumption levels already are too high for our health, for the environment and for the climate -- need to start thinking of meat, and particularly beef, as a rare treat. Not an every-day or every-meal sort of thing. 'Tender love and care'Strangely enough, this is something I could have learned back at the start of my journey, at Snow's BBQ in Lexington, Texas. It's likely unintentional, but a "climate carnivore" sensibility is baked into the way the place does business. That's because Snow's BBQ is only open one day per week. Saturday. And for one meal. Which is basically breakfast. Aside from special events, Snow's BBQ is open only on Saturday morning.Tomanetz, the 80-year-old pitmaster, beamed when she told me her restaurant was named the best BBQ place in Texas in 2008. "It takes a lot of tender love and care to prepare a brisket that's so well liked by so many people," she said.So, to recap, this is meat that available only once per week. You have to drive to the middle of nowhere to get it. And it's some of the best in the world. In other words: the definition of a treat. Afterward, if you're me, you're so freaking full you never want to eat beef again. I have to think that if more of us went on the Snow's diet -- the once-a-week, beef-as-treat diet -- we'd actually be OK. We need to wean ourselves from our addiction to fossil fuels, too, of course. Reducing beef consumption, alone, won't fix climate change. But it would help ensure we hit the 2-degree target. If you do go to Snow's, give Tomanetz a hug for me. And, a word of advice: Order a smaller plate. More than a pound of anything is way too much. That's especially true for beef.Submit a "climate carnivore" recipeSign up for the Two° newsletterFollow John Sutter on Twitter*Math behind the 70-mile meal: Here's how I calculated 1.27 pounds of beef produces the same amount of carbon-dioxide-equivalent pollution as burning enough gasoline to drive 70 miles. According to the FAO's Anne Mottet, eating North American beef, raised in a feedlot, produces about 50 kilograms of CO2e per kilogram of edible beef (it's 35.2 kg CO2e per kg of carcass weight). I converted my 1.27 pound meal into kilograms: 0.576. And then multiplied that by 50 to find that my meal produced about 28.8 kg of CO2e emissions. The U.S. EPA says 0.411 kg of CO2e are emitted per mile driven in a standard American car. (To get that figure, the EPA assumes the car has a fuel efficiency of 21.6 miles per gallon.) So, if you divide 28.8 by 0.411, you get my answer: about 70 miles. Note that this figure does not account for all carbon emissions associated with the lifecycle of a car, only the emissions associated with burning fuel to drive 70 miles. By using different estimates for how much CO2e is associated with a kilogram of beef, and including or excluding different aspects of production, you could arrive at very different mileages. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, the PhD animal biologist at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, for example, told me the FAO numbers sound "high," but not unreasonable. The crucial point is emissions associated with beef production are far higher, per unit, than those associated with chicken, pork or vegetables.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-06-29 12:44:35

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/29/opinions/sutter-help-marshall-islands-climate/index.html

How to help save the Marshall Islands - CNN

John Sutter offers readers of CNN's Two° series suggestions for how to help the Marshall Islands survive the effects of sea level rise and climate change.

opinions, How to help save the Marshall Islands - CNN

How to help save the Marshall Islands

Story highlightsThe Marshall Islands could disappear as sea levels riseJohn Sutter recently traveled to that country as part of the Two° seriesCNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage. (CNN)Swimming polar bears, melting ice caps. You've heard that stuff. But stop and think for a minute about the fact that climate change -- which is my fault and yours, if you're living in the industrialized world, where our carbon emissions are contributing to warming -- actually could erase entire island nations from the map. Countries like the Marshall Islands, which I recently visited for CNN's Two° series, likely will be submerged or become uninhabitable if global temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.How is that not seen as a moral issue? Read MoreLuckily, there's still time to help. By cutting carbon emissions, we in the industrialized world can boost the odds that countries like the Marshall Islands will be able to survive.Milan Loeak, a climate activist in the Marshall Islands, put this succinctly when I asked her where Marshallese people would move if they were displaced by rising seas."When people ask that it feels like defeat," she said. "And I don't want to feel defeated. I don't want to entertain that question. I think people should be saying, 'What can we do to help?'"I agree. Here are five ideas about how you can help a nation survive. 1. STOP POLLUTING (or try to pollute a little less...)JUST WATCHEDWhen climate change wipes your country off the mapReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhen climate change wipes your country off the map 05:22Since I returned from the Marshall Islands, I can't hear the hum of the air conditioner without thinking about the coal that's burning to power my lifestyle -- and how the carbon emissions associated with my electricity use are contributing to long-term sea level rise. 15 facts about sea level rise that should scare the s**t out of youWe as individuals likely can't solve the climate change problem without help from governments and industry, but each of us can do our part to reduce our own fossil fuel emissions. Instead of feeling guilty about the pollution you create now, you should start feeling good about doing your part to pollute a little less. In the aggregate, it will make a big difference.A few ideas about what you can do: turn your thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter; bike, walk or take public transportation; weatherize your home (there are financial incentives); buy electricity from green sources, where available; eat less meat, especially beef; and install solar panels.Want more advice? Check out the Pope's "10 commandments on climate change."2. Support efforts to keep Marshallese canoeing culture aliveCulture is being used to fight climate change in Majuro, Marshall Islands. This is depressing but true: There's not much that people in the Marshall Islands can do to slow climate change and ensure that rising seas don't submerge their nation. Carbon dioxide emissions from Pacific nations make up just 0.03% of the global total. But (but!) that doesn't mean people in the country are helpless. They're using their stories to try to raise global awareness -- and to get the rest of us to realize, as one local poet told me, that "there are faces all the way out here." They're also fighting climate change with a surprising weapon: culture. Take Alson Kelen, director of a nonprofit called Waan Aelon in Majel, or Canoes of the Marshall Islands. He's training dropouts to build canoes from local breadfruit trees. In doing so, he's exposing them to the ancient Marshallese traditions of canoeing between the remote atolls that make up the country. He's preserving a way of life -- ensuring that at least one critical aspect of what it means to be Marshallese will survive even if, in the long term, the country doesn't. To support these efforts, check out WAM's Facebook page and website, and consider a donation.3. Encourage industrialized countries to welcome climate migrantsJUST WATCHEDMarshall Islands can't survive 2 degrees of warmingReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHMarshall Islands can't survive 2 degrees of warming 03:10I met a family in the Marshall Islands that already decided to relocate -- to Springdale, Arkansas, of all places -- in part because they're concerned about more frequent flooding and climate change. These sorts of climate migrations likely are going to become more common, even if the world takes swift action to curb carbon emissions. In a twisted sense, the Marshallese are lucky: Because of the Compact of Free Association, they're allowed to live and work in the United States legally. Citizens of Bangladesh, the Maldives and Kiribati -- other nations where many poor people in low-lying areas are likely to be displaced -- may not be able to legally move to another country. What happens if your island nation disappears and you have nowhere legally to go? That's a question that should bother all of us, and to which we do not have an answer. By international law, there's no such thing as a "climate refugee." You can't claim asylum in another country because yours has been submerged. I'd encourage you to raise this issue with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations and ask them to recognize the urgency of the coming climate migration crisis and to pledge to welcome would-be migrants should they want or need to come. Industrialized countries -- the United States, China, Australia, those of the European Union -- are causing climate change, and it's our moral duty to welcome people who may be displaced by our callous indifference. There's little sign to date, however, that we'll do so.4. Tell the world's leaders 2 degrees is too muchJUST WATCHED2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate change 01:16Likewise, the industrialized world must act as quickly as possible to cut carbon emissions and to reduce deforestation rates so that fewer people will be displaced by rising sea levels.Here are a few tangible ways you can encourage government action: Support the EPA's Clean Power Plan.Vote for candidates who support cap-and-trade systems for carbon pollution, carbon taxes and energy efficiency subsidies. And, importantly, those that trust climate science.Support efforts to rid the world of fossil fuels by 2050, which is likely what's needed, according to activists and analysts, to stop warming short of 2 degrees Celsius. 5. Join the "Keep it in the ground" movement What if we could stop fossil fuels from coming out of the ground in the first place? That might be one way to ensure that the world stays below its carbon budget of 1,000 gigatonnes (about a quadrillion U.S. tons) -- the amount of carbon we can pump into the air and still hope to stay short of 2 degrees of warming. The Guardian newspaper and 350.org, the activist group, have teamed up to rally people behind this concept, which they're calling the "Keep it in the Ground" campaign.I'd encourage you to check out their website to learn more. Do you have an idea I didn't mention? As always, feel free to email me -- climate at cnn.com -- or leave a comment at the bottom of this story. I'd also encourage you to sign up for the "2 degrees" newsletter if you want to find more ways to get involved in this coverage.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-06-10 12:30:56

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/10/opinions/sutter-climate-sea-level-facts/index.html

Climate: 15 scary facts about rising seas (Opinion) - CNN

I'm recently back from the Marshall Islands -- one of the low-lying Pacific island nations that literally could be wiped off the map by climate change.

opinions, Climate: 15 scary facts about rising seas (Opinion) - CNN

15 facts about sea level rise that should scare the s^*# out of you

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage. (CNN)I'm recently back from the Marshall Islands -- one of the low-lying Pacific island nations that literally could be wiped off the map by climate change and rising seas. Climate change gets couched, especially by skeptics, as an intangible, far-off issue. But meet people who are terrified their country -- everything they know -- will be drowned beneath the waves, and you can see that this is a crisis, and one that must be addressed immediately. I'll write more soon about my time on the islands -- and about the surprising U.S. community where some Marshallese people already are taking refuge from floods. These are topics, by the way, you voted for me to explore as part of my "2 degrees" series on climate change. For now, here's a look at some of the scariest data about how much ocean levels could rise, and when. We're talking about the future here, so estimates vary by source, but the bottom line is this: Our actions today will create the world future generations will have to inhabit. I hope that's a world that includes the Marshall Islands and Miami, Bangladesh and London. Read MoreTake a look at these facts, and please let me know what you think in the comments.1. Seas already are rising because of climate change. 2. It's happening faster than scientists expected, and the collapse of the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet now "appears unstoppable," according to NASA.3. By the end of the century, scientists expect seas to rise 0.4 to 1.2 meters (1.3 to 3.9 feet), depending on how much we humans keep warming the atmosphere. 4. Maybe that doesn't sound like much -- but 147 million to 216 million people worldwide can expect to see their homes submerged or put at risk for regular flooding by 2100. 5. In Bangladesh, for example, 15 million people would be at risk for displacement if sea levels rose just 1 meter, or 3 feet. And more than 10% of the country would be underwater. 6. Some remote, island nations also would start disappearing -- since many, including Kiribati, the Maldives and the Marshall Islands, sit just above sea level. 7. Some "climate refugees" from these countries won't have anywhere to go. International laws don't protect them, so industrialized countries -- those contributing to climate change -- won't have to let them cross their borders to seek asylum.8. This is a financial concern as well. Rising seas pose a serious economic threat to the millions living in at-risk coastal cities. 9. In terms of dollars at risk, Guangzhou, China, in the Pearl River Delta, is more vulnerable to sea-level rise than any other city in the world, according to the World Bank. Many of the most vulnerable cities should look familiar, especially to Americans. After Guangzhou, Miami, New York and New Orleans are next. 10. Miami is in serious trouble. To imagine its possible futures, play with this map from Climate Central. 11. New York doesn't look good, either.12. And here's the possible future of Houston, another low-lying city.13. Sea levels are slow to respond to the warming climate -- so the most troublesome effects may not be seen for centuries. Even if warming is limited to 2 degrees, which is the international goal, seas could be expected to rise nearly 3 meters (9.8 feet) by 2300, according to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.14. And crossing certain "tipping points" -- such as the melting of Greenland's ice sheet -- could cause seas to rise much more dramatically in the long term. 15. If Greenland melts completely, which could happen in 140 years, according to "Six Degrees," by science writer Mark Lynas, then "Miami would disappear entirely, as would most of Manhattan." "Central London would be flooded. Bangkok, Bombay and Shanghai would also lose most of their area," he writes in that book. "In all, half of humanity would have to move to higher ground."But here's the good news: All of these risks are lessened -- or eliminated -- if we stop burning fossil fuels and chopping down carbon-gulping forests. It's possible to address this crisis. There are signs of hope. This week, Germany's Angela Merkel, for example, pressed world leaders to boost their pledges to cut carbon emissions ahead of international negotiations. The so-called "climate chancellor" wants industrialized countries to end fossil fuel use by 2100, according to The Guardian.Future generations will judge our action, or lack thereof, harshly. They'll have every right to do so. Because we will help determine what the coasts -- and the world -- look like for centuries.Email questions to: climate (at) cnn.com. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-05-25 12:14:26

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/25/opinions/sutter-snapchat-climate-marshall-islands/index.html

Climate change: Vanishing stories, vanishing country - CNN

One injustice of climate change is that it threatens to disappear entire countries. CNN's John Sutter is visiting one -- and documenting it on Snapchat.

opinions, Climate change: Vanishing stories, vanishing country - CNN

Vanishing stories in a vanishing country (i.e. climate change on Snapchat)

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)You've probably heard climate change will cause stronger storms, drier droughts and possibly mass extinctions. But one of the clearest -- and far-less-talked-about -- injustices of climate change is that it threatens to disappear entire countries. As you're reading this, if all's going well, I should be en route to one of these vanishing nations: The Marshall Islands, a scattering of remote, coral atolls, in the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Australia. Most of these islands, I'm told, aren't much wider than a road, and many of them sit just above sea level. As we burn fossil fuels and chop down forests, we're causing ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise. Some islands in the Marshalls likely will be submerged. Others may see groundwater supplies spoiled and crops killed by saltwater intrusion. More-frequent floods apparently already have driven some folks away.I'm on this trip to the Marshalls because readers of this website voted for me to do a story on "climate refugees" as part of my CNN project on 2 degrees of warming. Kelly, a 48-year-old reader in San Jose, California, first suggested the topic. She wanted to know where people in countries like the Marshall Islands will go if their entire nation sinks beneath the sea.I'd like to invite you to follow my journey on Snapchat, the platform for disappearing stories. Add me. I'm jdsutter. In case you're not familiar with the messaging app, photo and video snaps vanish immediately after their viewed by your friends -- or within 24 hours. Read MoreAdd "jdsutter" on Snapchat for updates from the Marshall Islands. By using this disappearing medium to document the story of a disappearing nation, I'm hoping to underscore the urgency of this human rights crisis. This is a country that's vanishing because of us. And when these islands succumb to higher tides, so will their cultures and languages. Their stories disappear, too. Those of us who live in the carbon-addicted world -- that's me, and probably you -- are gambling with the future of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Maldives and other island nations. Our reckless indifference, and our reluctance to move rapidly toward a zero-carbon economy, may literally erase them from the globe.I hope this coverage -- again, which you suggested and voted for -- will be some small part of raising awareness about the plight of these islands, which aren't causing climate change but are among the first to see its impacts. Their stories don't have to vanish if the world acts quickly enough.If you want to follow my trip to the Marshalls, download the Snapchat app and add jdsutter to your friends list. To do that, click on the ghost icon at the top of the home screen. Click "add friends" and then "add by username." That's where you type in jdsutter -- and click the plus sign. My daily updates -- assuming I can get a decent Internet connection, which I hear is a liiiiiittle tricky in the Marshall Islands -- will appear in your list of "Stories" in the app. Swipe left from the home screen to get to those, and look for my name.Feel free to e-mail me with questions or suggestions for the trip. You can also sign up for my "2 degrees" newsletter if you'd rather receive updates that way. I'll share stories on CNN.com when I return as well.Thanks in advance for following this journey -- and participating in this "2 degrees" series. Email questions to: [email protected]. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.JUST WATCHED2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate change 01:16

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-05-05 17:07:54

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/05/opinions/sutter-sea-level-climate/index.html

Climate: 9 questions on rising sea levels (2 degrees) - CNN

You've probably heard about some of the impacts of rising seas. But exactly how and why is it happening? John Sutter talks with a CNN meteorologist.

opinions, Climate: 9 questions on rising sea levels (2 degrees) - CNN

Climate: 9 questions on rising seas

Story highlightsJohn Sutter talks with CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller about sea level riseThis is part of the CNN series "2 degrees," which focuses on climate changeCNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)You've probably heard about some of the impacts of rising seas: Nearly a fifth of Bangladesh, in South Asia, could be submerged; some low-lying islands in the Pacific may disappear; coastal cities like Miami and New York are expected to see more floods. But exactly how and why are the seas rising? The underlying answer, of course, is that humans are warming the planet by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and engaging in other activities that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Policy makers have concluded that the warming would be especially dangerous if it crosses a threshold of 2 degrees Celsius higher than Earth's temperature at the start of the industrial revolution. But for details on how climate change is raising the height of the ocean, I turned to CNN International meteorologist and supervising weather producer Brandon Miller. Below you'll find an edited transcript of our email conversation. Brandon MillerI'll be exploring sea-level rise and what happens to people whose homes are flooded this month as part of CNN's "2 degrees" series on climate change. Let me know in the comments at the bottom of this post if there are other sea-level-related questions you'd like to see answered. And consider signing up for the "2 degrees" newsletter if you'd like to follow along. Read More1. Why are sea levels rising?Global sea level rise occurs because of two factors. The biggest reason is because of something called "thermal expansion," which is simply that water expands as it warms, just like how the liquid in a thermometer expands as the temperature increases. Therefore, as global temperatures continue to rise, the oceans get warmer and they literally expand, making the level of the sea rise. The other main contributor to sea level rise is the loss of glaciers and the polar ice caps. When the glaciers and ice caps melt, that water flows into the ocean and increases its volume. 2. Is this already happening -- or is it a future thing? Yes it is already happening, and yes it will continue to happen in the future, with the rate of sea level rise likely increasing as well. Since 1900 we have seen seas rise, on average, about 20 cm (8 inches). While ocean levels varied over the past 2,000 years, they did so much more slowly. It would have taken several hundred years to change the ocean level by the amount we have witnessed over the past century, with a bulk of that increase coming in the last 25 years.The rate of change in the past 20 years is about double the rate of change over the past 100 years, indicating that the rate of sea level rise is increasing.3. What will happen to sea levels if the climate warms 2 degrees? Sea levels will certainly continue to rise if the climate warms 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). Sea level rise will not stop, even if the warming ends at 2 degrees. Instead, it will continue for many centuries due to the lag in response times of the world's oceans and massive ice sheets.If we look at the distant past, 120,000 years ago, when only very early humans existed, the temperature was 2 degrees warmer than it is now. Sea levels were about 5 meters (16 feet) higher than they are today. Nearly 500 million people worldwide currently live below 5 meters elevation.4. How much are sea levels expected to rise by, say, 2100? According to the latest projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a 2 degree increase in temperature by the end of this century would result in about a half a meter (1.5 feet) of sea level rise. If we drastically and immediately reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses we are currently emitting, the sea level will still continue to rise as the result of the warming we have already seen, but it should be less, likely around 40 cm (15 inches). If we continue increasing greenhouse gas emissions at the current rate, the increase in sea level could be up to double that amount, or 80 cm (31 inches) by 2100. 5. What about in the really, really long term? One of the big questions is how much warming will it take to melt the Greenland Ice Sheet, which contains enough water to raise sea levels by 7 meters (23 feet). This is an incredibly difficult question to answer, but current research shows it is likely between 1 degree and 4 degrees warming, compared to pre-industrial averages. If 2 degrees is enough to melt the Greenland Ice Sheet, for instance, it could mean sea levels would rise much higher and faster than current projections show. A total melting of Greenland's ice likely would take thousands of years, though. 6. Are lots of the Pacific islands actually going to disappear? Likely not disappear, at least not in the short term (through the end of this century), but they will be dramatically impacted. Many low-lying regions will see drastic changes to their coastal geography from beach erosion, significant infrastructure challenges from things like saltwater intrusion into the water system, and population displacement from inundation. There are some extreme examples, such as the Marshall Islands, where 99% of the country lies below 5 meters in elevation, which could literally be "wiped off the map," but the problem is far more wide-reaching than a few tiny Pacific islands. Coastal communities around the world will face higher risks for storm-induced tidal surges, frequent inundation from high tides, etc. Many of the world's largest and most influential cities are located on the coast and must make significant preparations to combat rising sea levels.7. What about Bangladesh? Isn't it very high risk?Yes, absolutely. Bangladesh is in a very precarious situation in that it is vulnerable to flooding from all sides as a result of climate change. Increasing sea levels will continuously shrink the low-level coastal communities, while the major rivers that flow through Bangladesh (Ganges and Brahmaputra) will face increasing water levels from melting glaciers in the Himalayas. Bangladesh has the eighth largest population of any country -- at 158 million -- and a majority of these people live in the areas where these rising rivers meet a rising sea.8. What's happening to U.S. cities -- like New York, NOLA and Miami?The World Bank recently led a study that ranked cities around the globe in terms of their risk of coastal flooding resulting from climate change. When looking at overall costs of damage, five of the top 10 cities were in the United States: Miami (2), New York (3), New Orleans (4), Tampa (7), Boston (8). This is largely due to the massive amounts of infrastructure, economic assets and population that are located directly on the coast and at low elevation. Based on the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment, New York City would see a local sea level rise of nearly 4 feet by 2100. A 4-foot sea level rise for New York would result in nearly 100,000 people being underwater in New York City alone, with a property value of $16.5 billion. 9. How many people will be displaced by rising seas? In a 2-degree world, hundreds of millions of people will be affected by coastal flooding as a result of climate change. Asia, namely East, Southeast, and South Asia will be particularly affected. Unfortunately, some of these regions which will face the largest and most immediate impacts from rising seas have the fewest resources to combat them. In many cases, the cost of coastal adaptation may be too much, flooding from storms pushing higher water levels into homes will become too frequent, or the intrusion of saltwater into the local water table will make growing crops impossible -- and people in all regions of the world will be forced to leave their homes and cities.Email questions to: [email protected]. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-08-04 00:31:11

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opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/opinions/sutter-climate-skeptics-woodward-oklahoma/index.html

Why so many who doubt climate change here? (Opinion) - CNN

CNN's John D. Sutter visits Woodward County, Oklahoma, which has one of the highest rates of skepticism about climate change in the United States.

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Woodward County, Oklahoma: Why do so many here doubt climate change?

Story highlightsJohn D. Sutter visits Woodward County, Oklahoma, where an estimated 30% of residents say climate change isn't real97% of climate scientists say climate change is real and we're to blameSutter: Skeptics and believers need to look for common groundCNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Woodward, Oklahoma (CNN)I was wandering around the rolling plains of northwest Oklahoma looking for one person -- one person -- who believes in climate change science when I met the woman dressed all in yellow. A wide-brimmed, lemon-colored hat orbited her head. Her loafers were the color of butter. Everything in between was a jubilee of sunshine.Could she be the one? Please, Lord, let her be the one.I ask. Read MoreShe laughs. It's a sweet laugh. A knowing laugh. A yes-I-understand-everyone-out-here-thinks-climate-science-is-total-BS-but-I'm-the-one-who-gets-it laugh. Then Yellow Hat speaks. "I think it's a big fat lie."<Sigh.> I could recount several interactions like that from my week in Woodward County, Oklahoma, one of the most climate-skeptical counties in the United States. Thirty percent of the 21,000 people in Woodward County are estimated (using a statistical model based in national surveys) to believe that climate change isn't happening at all, according to the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. The county ties with six others for the highest rate of climate skepticism in the country. A larger chunk of people in Woodward County, 42%, are estimated to say maybe climate change is happening but we aren't causing it.Those views, of course, aren't supported by science. Climate change is real, and we're contributing to it by burning gas for our cars and coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity. Saying otherwise flies in the face of reality. But out here, where July temperatures hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius) and the often-gusting wind feels like a hair dryer aimed squarely at your face, climate change is seen by some as nonexistent -- a farce, a conspiracy, something that just plain doesn't make sense. Others who might be more inclined to acknowledge climate change aren't eager to talk about it. The subject is controversial to the point of being taboo. Several people told me they'd never had a conversation about climate change until I came around asking.Others, like Yellow Hat, had anti-climate-science arguments locked and loaded. "It's propaganda," she told me. Like ... whose propaganda? "The presstitutes," among others, she said, probably not forgetting she was speaking to a member of the international press, red CNN hat on head. "They're bought and paid for."I'll keep an eye out for the check.In Woodward, I'd learn about the art of "rollin' coal," which means altering and then revving up a diesel engine so it emits thicker puffs of smoke, mostly for the visual effect; I'd go mountain biking with a guy who believes elements of "The Flintstones" are historically accurate; I'd hear incorrect theories, like that hair spray, and other aerosols, cause climate change, or that wind farms pollute more than oil. And, clearly most important, a cowboy would ask me why I was wearing stretch pants to a cattle auction. (They were Levi's 511s.)Part of me wants to write off the skeptics in Woodward County -- to think that these views, especially the pants critique, are so out of sync with the modern world, and so detrimental to efforts to cut carbon emissions enough to stop the world from warming 2 degrees Celsius, which is regarded as the threshold for dangerous climate change, that we should ignore them. That would be the easier thing to do, and it's the approach some academics recommended to me, fearing reporting on climate skeptics would pump oxygen onto the fire of misinformation."It is a hopeless task to try to talk to them and change their minds," said Stephan Lewandowsky, a psychology professor at the University of Bristol.But I don't want to ignore this place -- and don't think you should, either. Partly that's because so many readers of CNN's Two° series on climate change asked me to look into climate skepticism in the United States. You wanted to know why such skepticism persists here, what's really behind the sentiment -- and how skeptics, hopefully, can become part of solutions to climate change. Partly it's because I really came to love Woodward. A sign in front of this statue reads, "A dinosaur like this roamed the Earth 5,000 years ago."This is a place that, like the rest of America, is far more messed up and wonderful and complicated than we give it credit for. The real Woodward, I found, is a place of confusion and silence -- where climate change is often misunderstood, and where everyone but the most emboldened skeptics appear nonexistent. This conversation is crucial, especially after President Barack Obama's recent announcement that the United States will cut emissions from coal-fired power plants and encourage renewable energy. And it's important ahead of a presidential election where several frontrunners are skeptical of climate science. This is a topic that is needlessly politicized. A narrow majority of people in Woodward County say climate change is happening. Yet, they rarely speak of it. Plus, there's one other issue.It's my name: John Sutter. To my surprise, it became the subject of much conversation in northwest Oklahoma. Turns out, I have far more in common with this place than I could have thought.'I look for the truth' I was frustrated with Woodward County before I arrived -- and for two reasons. First, I grew up in Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, about 140 miles southeast of Woodward. I thought I'd heard all of the worst-best arguments the skeptics would have to make: that we need oil and gas jobs; that weather patterns always are changing; that scientists are manipulating data to trick us. I also knew that I'd meet fans of Jim Inhofe, the U.S. senator from Oklahoma who is famous for calling climate change a "hoax." He brought a snowball onto the Senate floor this year as if to say, OMG! Snow! Where's your climate change now?All of that gives me a headache. I consider climate change one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time. Earlier this year, I visited the Marshall Islands, a tiny country in the Pacific that might not exist for long if emissions aren't cut fast. Homes already are flooding, and locals are worried about tides getting higher, as sea levels rise because of warming temperatures. None of this is their fault; it's ours, since we keep negligently burning fossil fuels. Second, there's the stegosaurus. When I Googled Woodward County, the weirdest thing came up: a Jurassic-era dinosaur, about as tall as a one-story building, with a little girl riding on its back.Right in the heart of town. A sign says, "A dinosaur like this roamed the Earth 5,000 years ago."I found that image to be so ridiculous. Five thousand years ago was the Bronze Age, roughly the time the Egyptians were building pyramids. I'm not a paleontologist, but I trust them, and their research suggests the stegosaurus wasn't roaming the Earth with a little girl on its back. That dinosaur lived about 150 million years ago, said Brian Huber, chairman of the Paleobiology Department at the Smithsonian Institution. "We have just a really high degree of confidence of this," he told me. Modern humans, meanwhile, didn't evolve until 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. But that's not how everyone in Woodward sees it."I think humans once lived with dinosaurs," said Randall Gabrel, a 53-year-old oil company owner and interim headmaster of Woodward Christian Academy, who personally paid to install the statue in the heart of town. (He declined to tell me exactly what that cost but did offer that it was "more than a brand-new pickup truck.") "I don't know (that) a kid ever rode on a dinosaur," he told me, "but I want to make this statement: that they lived at the same time."His sources? There are two. The Bible, which he interprets as saying God created dinosaurs and humans on the same day. And a supposed dinosaur bone sample, which he claimed to have sent to a university lab for analysis. The problem: The bone was submitted for carbon-14 dating, which, according to Jeff Speakman -- director of the Center for Applied Isotope Studies at the University of Georgia, where documents indicate a sample was sent -- can be used to date only material that is, at most, about 55,000 years old. "It's absolutely impossible to radiocarbon-date something that's 66 million years old," Speakman told me, citing the date when scientists say the dinosaurs went extinct. That a dinosaur bone would get any results at all indicates the bone was contaminated with a more modern source of carbon, Speakman said. Woodward County, Oklahoma, is estimated to have one of the nation's highest rates of climate skepticism. Gabrel knows about those critiques but is undeterred. "That's what I believe," he told me. "I put (the stegosaurus statue) up there because I think it draws attention, and I think the best evidence supports that position. I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. I'm willing to stand by my beliefs.""I look for the truth," he said. "That's what I'm after." I'll let you guess what he thinks of climate change.'Hard-ass place to live'In a state known for its weather -- tornadoes, ice storms, hail, heat waves, floods, droughts all are normal in Oklahoma; and meteorologists are among the state's biggest celebrities -- Woodward County is a case study in extremes.The day I drove to Woodward, the sky was spitting rain and the car thermometer showed temperatures in the upper 60s Fahrenheit (20 Celsius). A few days later, the high was 104 degrees (40 Celsius), with a heat index of 108 (42 Celsius). "This is a hard-ass place to live. You been here?" said Rachael Van Horn, a senior reporter at the local newspaper, The Woodward News, teasing me. "This is hard country." This "tough little piece of land" is in far northwestern Oklahoma, where rolling prairies give way, to the west, to the board-flat infinity that is the High Plains and, eventually, the Rocky Mountains. Trees are relatively few out here, especially outside of town, so the sky in Woodward County is big -- and mean. The old-timers are best at explaining it.Harold Wanger, a cowboy hat-wearing 81-year-old, with a faint tuft of monkey-grass hair sprouting from the tip of his nose, remembers dust storms so thick they blotted out the sun. Wanger (pronounced like "wrong-er") was born in 1934, near the start of an epic drought now known as the Dust Bowl, when farmers overplowed the prairie, sending walls of dirt racing across the plains, choking children with "dust pneumonia," spoiling crops and sending thousands of "Okies" west to California, a migration that John Steinbeck fictionalized in "The Grapes of Wrath.""The chickens went to bed in the middle of the afternoon, it was so dark" when dust storms rolled into Woodward County, Wanger told me. He was just a kid then, but Wanger recalls sleeping under wet sheets to keep dirt out of his lungs. He'd wake up to see dust had piled up on the floor overnight.In the 1950s, just as Wanger was finishing high school and getting married, extremely dry conditions returned. He was just starting out as a wheat farmer and cattle rancher, and Mother Nature wouldn't allow for much of either. "I planted 1,800 acres of wheat in the fall of 1954 -- and didn't cut a bushel."Intense drought hit Oklahoma again in the 2010s, this time breaking records. In 2011, the state experienced "the hottest summer of any state since records began in 1895," according to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, and Woodward saw 61 days at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit). The drought dried up streams, turned the short-grass prairie into straw and then helped it to light ablaze.It's impossible to say climate change caused these or any other particular weather events, but it is making these sorts of extremes more likely. Climate scientists expect droughts, heat waves and extreme rain events only to get worse out here. The Southern Plains averages seven days per year above 100 degrees Fahrenheit -- but that number is expected to quadruple by 2050, according to the latest U.S. National Climate Assessment. Water availability is expected to go down. Some crops probably will shift northward. Winter wheat, for example, which is grown in Woodward County, could see its yields decline by 15% if temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit). The amount of land burned by wildfires in the Western United States is expected to spike sharply -- by 400% to 800% at 2 degrees Celsius of warming, according to a 2011 report from the National Research Council. Woodward, Oklahoma, is traditionally an oil and gas kind of place, but wind farms and solar pumps are becoming common, too.Locals just shrug at those sorts of predictions, though. "We're used to it," said Sheila Gay, publisher of The Woodward News, which, for the record, she said, has not written a local story focused on climate change in the 18-some years that she's been working there. "Welcome to Oklahoma."'Most ludicrous myth' I came to Woodward to talk with skeptics. They, of course, were easy to find. What was more difficult was finding someone who actually believed in climate change. So I made that a personal mission. I wandered all over the county on a scavenger hunt for believers. At the Woodward Livestock Auction, I figured I'd meet ranchers affected by the recent drought who wouldn't want to see that kind of thing intensify and become more frequent. I met Jerry Nine, the rail-thin auction owner, who told me ranchers have called him in tears during drought years because they've had to sell nearly all of their cattle. There isn't enough water for the cows to drink.But do these cattlemen buy climate science? "I think all this global warming crap is overblown," said Wes Sander, one of the ranchers. At a church dinner, I met Genevieve Duncan, a soft-spoken 80-year-old who walks with a cane. She told me climate change is "the most ludicrous myth that has been forced upon the Earth since the world began." Well, then.I'm paid to be persistent, so my quest for an eco-activist continued. At a French cafe downtown, I met Rita Barney, who has bleached hair, cat-eye glasses and tattoos everywhere. She looks like punk-climate-activist material. But even she doesn't think we need to switch off of oil. "I think that, as we take the oil out of the ground," she said, "God provided a way for that to replenish itself." (Oil actually takes hundreds of thousands of years under pressure to form.)I visited the High Plains Technology Center, which is one of the best schools in the country for training people who work on wind farms. The students I encountered were from California, New York, Missouri and elsewhere. In the last five years or so, dozens of wind turbines have popped up in and around Woodward, capitalizing on the wind that, true to the song from the musical "Oklahoma!" does go sweeping down the plains. Jack Day, 44, is one of the wind tech instructors there.Does he think humans are causing climate change? "My instinct is no." Others declined to comment. They included Alan Riffel, the city manager, and Robert Roberson, a local Prius driver and executive director of the Plains Indians & Pioneers Museum. I get the sense that many people in Woodward are scared of what the "industry" might think of their views on climate change -- and by "industry" they mean oil and natural gas. Despite the recent boom in wind farms, which the city of Woodward features prominently on its website, fossil fuels still drive the local economy. Most surprising, to me, however, was the sentiment of some relatives of Norman Vanderslice, who died last year from injuries sustained in a massive wildfire. Steve and Julie Milton told me Vanderslice, who was Steve's cousin but was more like a brother to him, died trying to help another man escape the blaze. The May 2014 fire, fueled by 50 mph winds, jumped a highway, Steve Milton said, and burned Vanderslice so badly that he died after more than two months in the hospital. I told Steve and Julie Milton about the predictions -- that wildfires in the western United States are expected to increase in size by 400% to 800%. "They can do all the research they want, and Mother Nature's gonna show 'em that she can do whatever she wants," Steve Milton said."If you look at history, it kinda repeats itself."How (not) to argue with a skepticI'm nonconfrontational by nature, but I found myself wanting to argue with a few of the climate skeptics in Oklahoma -- or, in a couple of instances, wanting to convince them they were wrong. I heard dozens of people tell me, incorrectly, that climate change is "just a cycle," and that it's natural, not man-made. But this theory, which also is parroted by many Republican presidential candidates, is everywhere in Woodward. Hearing it started to feel like an ice pick on my temples. Steve and Julie Milton lost a relative in a 2014 wildfire. Such fires are expected to become more widespread.I tried a number of methods. The most tempting is this: Just the facts. I've honed my climate-change-is-real-and-we're-causing it argument down to essentially three steps. This method is based on reading reports like those by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the U.S. Global Change Research Program and NASA, (including a brilliant Bloomberg illustration of NASA data), as well as conversations with people like Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech. I turned to Hayhoe for help with this in part because she's married to an evangelical minister and former skeptic. And she convinced him this is real.I tried an abbreviated version of this approach on Mead Ferguson, 84, a former worker for an international oil company and current rancher in Woodward County. Step one: We can see the climate is changing. Most obviously, we see this in global average surface temperatures. But glaciers also are melting, the ocean is getting warmer, plants are blooming earlier, insects are moving north, rainfall and snowfall are becoming more extreme, oceans are rising as they warm up and their molecules expand, the oceans are becoming more acidic, etc., etc. It is becoming impossible to dispute these facts, which is why you hear skeptical politicians now arguing that it's happening, sure, but that we have nothing to do with it.Step two: We know it's not a natural cycle -- or related to sunspots. You can make plenty of guesses about why the climate is warming, and all of them are worth investigating. Thankfully, scientists have done that. Sunspots, volcanoes, the Earth's orbit, natural variability, ozone pollution. None of these -- even combined -- can explain the rapid rise in temperature the Earth is already experiencing. Step three: More than 97% of working climate scientists agree that we are causing climate change by burning fossil fuels and chopping down forests. One factor clearly does explain why temperatures are getting warmer so quickly: When we humans drive cars and burn fossil fuels to generate electricity, we're releasing heat-trapping gases, mostly carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket, gradually trapping heat and causing warming.This doesn't mean that every summer will be sweltering, and that there won't be any snow or ice. Far from it. Climate change is a gamble. We're stacking the dice to make certain weather events more or less likely over time. And while there may be some benefits from average warming, the overall picture looks bleak, especially in the long term. If the climate warms 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels (in June, we'd already hit 0.88 degrees of warming), many low-lying island nations probably will vanish, some crop yields probably will go down, water probably will become much more scarce and 20% to 30% of plants and animals will be put at risk for extinction. Ferguson, the rancher, was giving me a half-smiling death stare throughout my mini-rant. We batted ideas back and forth several times, with him pulling preclipped charts from an agricultural magazine off of his desk. "We don't see an honest debate going on," he said.One of the charts, which used data from upper troposphere, appeared to show that the climate isn't warming as much as scientists would expect. I checked that out with Hayhoe, who told me this is a common data manipulation: The upper troposphere is above the area of the atmosphere where most carbon dioxide accumulates, meaning it's not a representative way to measure climate change. Surface temperatures, from the lower troposphere, are what we experience. (After this article was first published, Hayhoe wrote me that, more importantly, there were errors in troposphere data, which are commonly misused by climate skeptics.)Ferguson also pointed me to a commentary, published in The Wall Street Journal, that appeared to discount the peer-reviewed studies showing that 97% of climate scientists agree that we're causing climate change by emitting heat-trapping gases. The reality, Hayhoe told me, is that The Wall Street Journal's opinion section is not peer-reviewed in the same way science is. And multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that publishing climate scientists are in near-unanimous agreement about human-caused warming. Look at the actual peer-reviewed research and the consensus is even greater. Of 25,182 climate change studies reviewed by James Powell, director of the National Physical Science Consortium, only 26 studies, or 0.01% were found to reject the idea of human-caused climate change. That's 99.9% agreement."We as human beings have a tendency to put off what we really need to do if it has the capacity to make us uncomfortable," said Rachael Van Horn, a reporter at the Woodward News. But Ferguson didn't buy it. He doesn't trust the Obama administration and says NASA and other federal agencies cook the books to toe the party line. "I'm in firm agreement you can't really argue this with charts," he said. "I think people are arguing it with their hearts. Either you believe it or you don't. ..."I left the conversation feeling frustrated and confused. Without agreement over these facts, how do we move forward? 'Survivors will be shot again'My increasingly foolhardy search for a climate change believer in Woodward County got kicked into overdrive when I heard about a ranch with my name on it. You related to the Sutter Ranch folks? a local asked me.I stared back blankly. West of Woodward, the person said, near Fargo. I'd had no idea there was a Sutter Ranch near Woodward County. But I knew I had to find it. My motives were selfish. Secretly, I hoped these Ranching Edition Sutters might be the climate change believers I'd been trying so hard to find. I imagined them owning a wind farm. Woodward's hidden prairie hippies -- and with my last name!How convenient. I couldn't wait to find them.First step on the search: My grandma. She's 96. Still bright. And I remember her saying she lived somewhere in western Oklahoma during the 1930s, around the time of the Dust Bowl. She has stories about trying to outrun dust storms so she could pull laundry in off the line. I called her up from my hotel room in Woodward. Did she know anything about a Sutter Ranch? "I don't really know, John. If there is, I don't know anything about it."OK, then. Step two: Hit the road. Fargo (population: 370) is all curled metal and splintered wood. The Saturday I visited, the sun was hot enough to crinkle the horizon and the place felt like a ghost town. I scanned for any signs of a person and spotted a truck parked in front of what looked like an abandoned A-frame shed. Against my better judgment, I pulled over. Hello! ...?Out walked a youngish guy with a gun. "It's just a pellet rife," he said, smiling as he read what must have been a city boy expression on my face. "We work here. There's a pigeon problem in the roof." "You heard of Sutter Ranch?" They hadn't, so I drove around town until I saw a house that looked welcoming enough to approach. A tall man with bird-talon toenails answered the door and told me that the ranch was down the highway, across the railroad tracks."I'm not sure what kind of reception you will get," he said. How come? They're pretty rich -- own lots of land, he said.Great. Now I was picturing the Sutters more like cartoonish, moneybags Monopoly Men than climate change believers. I bet they didn't even have a wind farm. En route, I made a wrong turn and pulled into a driveway with a sign that read, "Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again." I sped away. 'You contribute to the imbalance'Once I got it in my head that I might be related to people in Woodward County, I started looking at the place a little differently. What would my life be like if I had grown up on Sutter Ranch? Would I still feel the same way about climate change, gay rights, gun control? Would I still hate horses? (I really hate horses). Just the idea of being from here -- being of this place rather than an outsider sent here to judge it -- made me realize that I was approaching my time in Woodward all wrong. I intended to come to Woodward County to listen to people. But I actually was tallying them up, putting them into categories: believer vs. skeptic; rational human vs. little-girl-on-the-back-of-a-stegosaurus statue owner. I was trying to convince them I was right, not listening to where they were coming from.Cattle ranching and wheat farming are common in Woodward County. Winter wheat yields could drop 15% if the climate warms 2 degrees Celsius. "The public in the United States doesn't speak with a single voice. They have very different perspectives," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. "If you want to engage the public effectively, you've got to start where they are, not where you are." I hadn't been taking that advice. And in doing so I'd gotten a warped view of this place. It turns out people generally have a tendency to think that everyone either does -- or should -- believe as they do. Academics sometimes call that sentiment "pluralistic ignorance," which is a term I learned from George Marshall, author of "Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change" and co-founder of the Oxford-based Climate Outreach and Information Network."Pluralistic ignorance" refers to the idea that, when no one talks about an issue -- or really listens -- it's easy to get a skewed view of reality. So, let's say people in Woodward County express some degree of climate skepticism because they assume that's how everyone else in the area feels. In reality, no one's talking about the topic, so people tend to overestimate how prevalent climate skepticism might be. "If you're a Republican in Oklahoma who accepts the science (of climate change), you're likely to think everybody else out there disagrees with it," Marshall told me. "And so you keep quiet. And when you keep quiet, you contribute to the imbalance."At Marshall's urging, I started asking Woodward County residents what percentage of their neighbors would say climate change is bunk. Often, they'd guess 70% to 90%.Based on my initial conversations, I would have said so, too. The skeptics are the loudest. They stick in your head. Get the attention. The reality in Woodward County, however, according to the Yale research, which used a national survey to estimate county-level data, with an 8% margin of error, is that only 30% of people here think climate change is fake. Which isn't really that high when you think about it. That's something I didn't realize at first. All I heard were the highly skeptical arguments. That's what I was primed to hear.But nationally, according to the Yale data, only 18% of people think climate change isn't real. And only 9% of the national population feels either "extremely" or "very" sure that climate change is not happening. What that tells me is that the vocal, angry, conspiracy-theory-type skeptics are a very small minority in this country.Nine percent of people are sure global warming is fake. The same percentage of Americans also believe vaccines are more dangerous than disease.In other words: It's a fringe view. Many more people, a more levelheaded read of the data reveals, are confused by climate science, and with good reason. We in the news media do a poor job of explaining it. And many of us who believe in climate change get defensive and angry when we talk about it with skeptics. Meanwhile, only one in 10 Americans know that nearly all climate scientists agree that climate change is real and we're causing it by burning fossil fuels. (One in 10!) And others aren't talking about this stuff at all. Three-quarters of Americans say they "rarely" or "never" discuss climate change with their family and friends -- and those are the people who, statistically, are most likely to gain their trust when it comes to this topic, after climate scientists.In Woodward, I found that for every person who vehemently denies climate change is real -- the woman at the church dinner, for instance, who called it a "ludicrous myth" -- there were several who felt genuinely confused about the topic, or who had very rational and honest reasons to avoid climate science. Take Rita Barney, the tattooed 58-year-old with the French restaurant downtown. She thought hair spray caused climate change -- probably because she used to be a hairdresser and heard, in the 1990s, that aerosol spray was carving a hole in the ozone layer. Hair spray doesn't cause climate change, but I understand her confusion. Both are issues dealing with the atmosphere, and neither is talked about much here. (The ozone hole is almost gone, by the way, thanks to international efforts to curb the use of aerosols and certain refrigerants that were creating it.) I told her that burning fossil fuels and deforestation are the main drivers of climate change -- and that's what scientists are concerned about now. "I'm not sure exactly what I believe," she told me in response. "But I can tell you that just being a part of this (interview) has made me more curious to study more and find out. You know, if there's something that I can do personally (to help)." Jack Day, the wind farm technician trainer, had a similar reaction. Two years ago, he would have said climate change is "malarkey," he told me. But now he's in a gradual process of reconsidering."I think it's foolish to dismiss it completely," he said."It comes down to trust, and I haven't found a good resource for myself. ... I'm pretty much a see-it-believe-it kind of guy. And I'm sure by that time, it's too late." 'We aren't home at all'The sign was just beyond the railroad tracks: "Sutter Ranch." White letters on black paint. Locusts buzzed and grasshoppers shot from the ground like fireworks as the belly of my tiny rental car dragged along the weed hump in the center of the ranch's dirt road. I wasn't sure where I was going, but figured this road had to lead somewhere. I crested a tiny hill and saw it: a white ranch house and stable. Two horses, one black, one brown, were in the pen. Someone has to live here, I thought. I rang the doorbell and took note of my surroundings. The white house was fairly nondescript except for one strange feature: the fence. Or, rather, the lack of a fence. There was a tall metal gate, with a swinging door, in front of the walkway that leads to the house. But no fence on either side of it. Like the place is trying to give off the air of being sectioned off from the rest of the world, but couldn't commit.I rang the doorbell again. No answer. I didn't see a soul, so I put a note on the door.That afternoon, I left quickly, worried someone would see me lurking around the house and think I was some sort of city-hipster robber baron. But when I returned a second time, I got a little gutsier. I decided to walk a loop around the house and spotted a second white building labeled "Office." I knocked. Nothing. So I peeked into the window. The interior was hunting-lodge-meets-doublewide. I saw a horseshoe on the wall. A cowboy hat. Plush furniture. And, most interestingly for my purposes, a sign. "Open most days about 9 or 10," the sign read. Then where the hell are you? "Occasionally as early as 7," the sign continued. "But sometimes as late as 11 or 12. Some days or afternoons we aren't home at all, and lately I've been here just about all the time, except when I'm someplace else, but I should be here then, too."Perfect. A Sutter Ranch riddle.I called the ranch number I'd found online and heard the office phone ring -- the bleating rattle of a receiver that sounded like it was from the 1970s or '80s. My hopes were fading fast. 'I'm not Mr. Green'The more time I spent in Woodward the more the place surprised me. Take Randall Gabrel, the guy who paid for the dinosaur statue. Despite the fact that he owns an oil company and doesn't think humans are causing climate change, he's spending more than $30,000, he told me, to install 38 solar panels at his house, just west of Woodward (I almost didn't believe this, but he showed me the panels and the frame, which was under construction). "If everyone goes to solar, and that works, and that shuts down the oil and gas industry, I'm good with it," he said. "If that works, then fine."He and other Woodward residents, in a strange way, are almost too humble to believe man can contribute to climate change. Either they see the weather as so big, so unpredictable, that they have to cow to Mother Nature's whims. Or they believe that God is in control -- and that to say we can shape the weather is almost like bragging, like making humans seem far more significant than we actually are. "That's man saying, 'We're God, now.' That we're controlling the sun and the Earth's environment," he said. "I don't know what the weather is going to be like."But he does care about pollution -- as well as saving money. He wishes liberal politicians took this stuff seriously, too."I don't think people are serious when they say stuff and they're not willing to do it themselves," he said, referencing the fact that Barack Obama and Al Gore continue to fly frequently and drive despite being advocates for action on climate change.Out here, this is just common sense. If you say you believe something, you stand by it. Eventually, as I started listening harder, I also encountered a number of people who believe climate change is a major issue for Woodward County and the rest of the world.One was a 12-year-old girl who I found spinning with her sister on a merry-go-round on a sweltering afternoon. The girl, who I'm not identifying because she's a minor, told me that climate change was a no-duh sort of thing for her. She learned about it in science class, and immediately told a bunch of her friends. "They said, 'We don't have anything to do with that.' ""They didn't make fun of me," she said. "They just didn't talk to me for a while." "Nobody talks about it here," said the girl's sister, age 14. Another was Harold Wanger, the rancher who was born at the start of that drought and who married his high school sweetheart during the next drought cycle. He realizes that people can devastate the natural environment -- he saw that happen when his family contributed to overplowing the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl. He doesn't want to see that happen again. That's part of the reason he's leasing land to wind farms. They're clean. No pollution."These turbines are better than an oil well," he told me, standing beneath one of the mammoth machines, which are nearly 300 feet tall and have blades as long as blue whales. "An oil well will pump dry up on ya. And these turbines will keep runnin'."The other reason? They pay him.'W of City'I decided to visit Sutter Ranch a third and final time. On the way, I stopped in Fargo, thinking maybe I'd find someone with a clue about whether anyone actually lived on the Sutter land, or where they might be. It seemed to me that they weren't living at the ranch anymore.I saw a few cars parked in front of a community building in Fargo so I went in. That's where I ran into Yellow Hat, the climate skeptic who insinuated I'm a "presstitute," pimping out my opinions on climate change for a few bucks from Al Gore, George Soros, or whomever. She wasn't so helpful, but some of her retired, card-playing buddies were. They dug through a pile of local phonebooks with me to find one of the Sutter relatives whose name had changed because of marriage.Their address, off the ranch, was listed. It said, "W of City Fargo."As in "West of Fargo." Woodward always has been a place of extremes. After being scorched in a drought, the county now is seeing an unusually wet period.Specific, huh.But the card players knew the house. Down the road, they said. Can't miss it. I wouldn't have the chance to. As I was driving out of town, I saw a black truck pulling into Sutter Ranch. The black truck stopped in front of a stable and next to a white truck with its hood popped up. I followed at some distance and then parked my non-truck, roller-skate-shaped rental car around the curve, facing the ranch exit. Remembering the "survivors will be shot again" sign down the road, I recalled the first rule of conflict-zone reporting: Know your exit strategy.I saw the man and watched him go into the horse barn. I stood back some distance, hoping not to startle him, and waited for him to come back outside. I waved. "Well, hi! Come in!" he said, smiling. All the anxiety washed away. My people, I thought. Or hoped. "Sit down if you don't mind getting dirty!" I hopped on the gate of his pick-up and scanned for similarities. Did this guy look like me? Could we be related? He was wearing an Oklahoma State hat, which is the school both of my parents attended. His mustache was kind of the same shape as mine, minus my beard. Both of those are pro-Sutter points, I guess. "We've been blessed with rain this year," the man at Sutter Ranch said. "Makes a world of difference." The ranch was starting to look like Oz to me -- emerald fields of short grass prairie, sunflowers sprouting along the roads. I told the man why I was here -- that my name was John Sutter, that my grandma lived nearby, somewhere, during the 1930s, and that I was out here doing a story for CNN on extreme weather and climate change, weirdly enough. I didn't tell him I was pinning all my hopes on this ranch's story -- that I somehow needed him to make sense of this science-skeptical place for me. Because that would have sounded bonkers.He smiled and agreed to tell me the ranch's story.His name was Ken Merrill, married to Karen Merrill, formerly Sutter. So forget what I said about our mustaches looking the same. Ken is married into the Sutter clan. The Sutter family has been out here, just beyond the border of Woodward County, since the early 1920s, he told me. The original Sutter -- O.E. Sutter -- took a train ride across the prairie here, fell in love with the land, and with the quail hunting opportunities, and bought the ranch. The family was living in Wichita, Kansas, before that, where they worked in the oil business. I remember my grandma talking about another branch of our family that settled in that city while our Sutters stayed behind and largely farmed.I'm not certain, but it's likely we're distantly related. Both families trace their roots to Pennsylvania. I was nervous to ask Ken -- and later Karen, his wife, who answered the door wearing a golf visor, a wave of hair cresting over the brim -- about climate change. I started to think about my family -- many of whom are deeply conservative and probably don't believe in climate change either. They're good people. I love them dearly, but I'm sure we don't see eye to eye on this or many other politicized issues. Earlier, I'd asked my 96-year-old grandma what she thought of climate change. "Oh, I'm not smart enough to have an opinion on that," she'd told me. That Oklahoma modesty.I finally got up the courage to ask. I felt like there was so much riding on the answer. But once I heard it, I realized I'd been asking the wrong question."I think it's baloney," Karen Merrill told me. It didn't matter to me anymore that Karen Merrill -- or 30% of Woodward and 18% of the United States -- didn't believe in climate change. I believe it. I know why. And I can explain my views. That's important. Being willing to honestly, calmly explain the science to skeptics, too, is crucial as well, since so much silence surrounds climate change. I wish people in Woodward felt more able to speak up. And that politicians -- including most Republicans who are parroting the line that they are "not scientists," and global warming isn't our fault -- would realize the damage they're causing. This is an urgent crisis, and this country must be well-informed."Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain," Pope Francis wrote in his landmark encyclical on climate change, released earlier this summer.We already have a mandate to move forward. The United States, long a laggard in international climate negotiations, is pushing for action. President Obama, for example, announced on Monday a plan to reduce emissions from power plants 32% below 2005 levels by 2030. That's not going to fix everything. But it's a big start. And it will give the United States some moral ground to stand on when the world meets in Paris in December to try to hammer out an international treaty. Harold Wanger, 81, leases part of his ranch to wind farm developers. Obama's plan is described as controversial, but there's actually pretty broad agreement that we need to be doing something -- even here in skeptical Woodward. Seventy percent of people in Woodward (and 79% of Americans, according to a 2015 poll by the Yale group) are estimated to support funding for renewable energy research; 65% (75% of Americans) are estimated to say we should regulate carbon as a pollutant; and a narrow majority, 51%, (66% nationally) are estimated to say utilities should be required to produce 20% of electricity from renewable sources. If Woodward is the most skeptical place in America, we're doing well.These points of agreement should be our focus, not "belief" in climate science. The United States needs to do a far better job about educating the public about how and why climate change is happening, as well as the very real dangers associated with it. But solutions are what really matter.Those of us who think climate change is a problem should be open about our beliefs and motives -- but we also must search for common ground with unlikely allies. "Oklahoma, and this region of the country in particular, are pretty skeptical of things like that," Ken Merrill told me. "I guess, mostly, it shows we've been through it so many times, and it's just a cycle. You have your hot, you have your cold. "You have your wet times and your dry times."That's a skeptical view, sure. One that doesn't make clear humans are causing climate change. But a moderate one, a reasonable one -- one based on his personal experience of the uber-extreme weather people here always have had to live with. It's especially reasonable given all of the incentives for a person in Woodward County not to believe. Those incentives are political, because conservative thought leaders insist on denying climate change; economic, because oil and gas are still king in Woodward, despite the wind boom; and religious, because not many conservative Christian pastors are saying climate change is a moral issue -- that the world's poor will be most affected, and that we have an obligation to help. But I have much more in common with Ken Merrill than our disagreement over whether humans are causing climate change. It took far too long for me to realize that."I'm a steward of the land out here," he told me. "It's my responsibility to see that even in drought times, the land is taken care of and the land is respected. We learned a lot from the Dust Bowl days, in terms of farming practices. Nobody wants to go through that again. ... When you grow up out here, that's just the mindset you learn. It becomes a way of life. You take care of (the land) and it takes care of you. "Generations of our family survived out here just on what they had and what they grew. If you didn't ever give back, the well is going to run dry someday, so to speak." I couldn't put it better myself.This story has been updated to reflect more-detailed information about carbon 14 dating and contamination of supposed dinosaur bone samples.

Brandon Miller and Azadeh Ansari, CNN

2015-11-13 18:12:57

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/two-degrees-question-climate-change-and-conflict/index.html

Climate change: Did it contribute to conflict in Syria? - CNN

Two Degrees: A CNN reader asks whether the Syrian war and refugee crisis may have been triggered in part by drought and climate change.

climate change, war, syria, john kerry, environment, middle east, world, Climate change: Did it contribute to conflict in Syria? - CNN

Two Degrees: Does climate change contribute to violence and war?

Story highlightsA reader asks: Did a record drought trigger the crisis in Syria?Secretary of State John Kerry and climate researchers see a link, and a study says climate change worsened the droughtBut there were other droughts in countries such as Turkey and Iran, which did not see the same mass migrations and social unrestOn Fridays, CNN answers one of our audience's climate change questions as part of the Two Degrees series. Ask your question by filling out this online form. And sign up for the Two Degrees newsletter to learn more. (CNN)The war in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people.From Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to ISIS, many of the culprits are well known.But has climate change contributed to the bloodshed as well?That's a question CNN reader Robert Goldschmidt, from University Park, Florida, asked recently as part of our network's Two Degrees series on climate change.Specifically, he wanted to know if a record drought had "triggered" the crisis. Read MoreThere are high-profile backers of this view, among them U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. "It's not a coincidence that immediately prior to the civil war in Syria, the country experienced its worst drought on record. As many as 1.5 million people migrated from Syria's farms to its cities, intensifying the political unrest that was just beginning to roil and boil in the region," Kerry said this week in a speech at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. While drought is not the only cause of the Syrian conflict, the idea is that it has helped drive up social unrest. It increased unemployment, exacerbated famine and water scarcity, and forced farmers from their homes and into cities, where violence began.There's scientific evidence to support the case. In a 2014 study published in the journal Weather, Climate and Society, climate expert Peter Gleick wrote that "water and climatic conditions have played a direct role in the deterioration of Syria's economic conditions."Furthermore, the idea that the drought, which was the worst ever recorded in the region, was worsened by climate change in the region was strengthened in another study published this year. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Columbia University say the multiyear drought that helped drive the conflict was made "two to three times more likely" by man-made global warming. According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Middle East overall is expected to trend hotter and drier, which will make severe, multiyear droughts such as what occurred in Syria more likely to occur. The drought started in 2006, years before violence broke out in Syria. By 2009, yields of wheat and barley fell by about one-half and two-thirds, respectively, and 800,000 people lost their basic food support. By 2011, the year violence erupted after a popular uprising against Assad, the situation had worsened and more than 1 million Syrians were forced into food insecurity. With rising political tensions, and families no longer able to ensure their futures on rural agricultural land, more than 1.5 million people migrated to cities, including Aleppo, Damascus and Homs, where many deaths occurred. While there is evidence to support the climate-violence link, not everyone agrees Syria's drought contributed to its civil war. One fact that casts doubt: Other droughts occurred in other countries such as Turkey and Iran, which did not see the same mass migrations and social unrest. Others simply say the link between climate change and violence is prone to overstatement. And researchers stress the importance of acknowledging that war often emerges from many factors.The U.S. Department of Defense takes the link seriously, though, calling climate change a "threat multiplier." That means its effect is greatest in areas that are already environmentally and socially unstable. Kerry and other officials stress the connection is real. "It would be better for all of us if I was exaggerating the urgency of this threat, but the science tells us unequivocally that those who continue to make climate change a political fight put us all at risk," Kerry said.Those comments -- and this discussion -- come at a critical time. Negotiators from 195 countries will gather in Paris on November 30 to try to work toward an agreement to curb the rise in global temperatures. Perhaps that agreement, if successful, also could help reduce climate change's contribution to drought, and potentially violence, around the world. Ask a question and shape CNN's coverageRead more about the Two Degrees seriesSubscribe to the Two Degrees newsletter

Erin Lipp, Special to CNN

2015-11-20 18:46:43

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/20/world/two-degrees-question-climate-change-and-disease/index.html

Climate change: Does it contribute to disease? - CNN

Two Degrees: A CNN reader asks whether the climate change lead to more disease outbreaks.

climate change, disease, environment, world, Climate change: Does it contribute to disease? - CNN

Two Degrees: Does climate change contribute to disease?

Story highlightsA reader asks: Does climate change trigger disease outbreaks? Climate change has both direct and indirect effects on illness and disease, says UGA professor of environmental healthOn Fridays, CNN answers one of our audience's climate change questions as part of the Two Degrees series. Ask your question by filling out this online form. And sign up for the Two Degrees newsletter to learn more. (CNN)Erin Lipp is a professor of environmental health at the University of Georgia. She specializes in climate change and human health. She's answering this week's audience-generated climate change question as part of CNN's Two Degrees series. CNN reader Tiffany Dennis from Atlanta asks, could climate change lead to more disease outbreaks and infections? The simple answer is yes, says Erin Lipp, professor of environmental health at the University of Georgia. But the cause behind this increase is often more complex than other ways in which climate affects human health, Lipp says. For example, heat waves will result in more heat-related illnesses and deaths. This is a direct effect of climate change. Climate change has a more indirect effect on infectious diseases, with climate and shifts in weather patterns influencing the pathogens (bacteria, viruses, etc.) and their hosts (insects or other animals), and consequently how humans are exposed.Opinions: ISIS won't derail Paris climate talksRead MoreSeveral diseases are sensitive to climate, among them diarrheal diseases and those transmitted by insect vectors. JUST WATCHEDDo Ice Age Cycles Explain Climate Change?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDo Ice Age Cycles Explain Climate Change? 03:23For example, the tick that carries the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease has expanded its range northward in the United States and Canada over the past 20 years due to warming temperatures, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.Another example is the Vibrio bacterium. The pathogen is found naturally in warm marine waters and is responsible for diarrheal disease (and sometimes bloodstream poisoning) following consumption of raw oysters or wound infections after swimming in seawater. These bacteria also have expanded their range due to warming coastal waters.The turn of this century saw Vibrio outbreaks extend as far north as New England and Alaska. Records from northern Europe also indicate that these bacteria are becoming more common. Vibrio infections are now considered to be an indicator of climate change by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. JUST WATCHEDIs recent extreme weather caused by climate change?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIs recent extreme weather caused by climate change? 01:43In addition to temperature, changes in precipitation patterns can help to mobilize pathogens and increase the chances for transmission to humans. Intense rainfall events, flooding and drought -- which are expected to increase with projected changes in climate -- can affect the introduction of fecal contaminants to recreational waters or waters used for drinking.For example, nearly 70% of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States were preceded by heavy rainfall events (in the 80th percentile) from 1948 to 1994. These events can cause runoff from agriculture lands or overflows in sewage systems that can transport pathogens to water bodies. Clearly there are many factors that ultimately affect infections and outbreaks, but climate change can add an additional level of risk.Ask a question and shape CNN's coverageRead more about the Two Degrees seriesSubscribe to the Two Degrees newsletter CNN's Brandon Miller and Azadeh Ansari contributed to this report.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-10-02 13:17:42

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/02/world/sutter-bugs-climate-two-degrees-question/index.html

Climate change: Does eating bugs help? - CNN

Mealworms and crickets as a solution to global warming? John Sutter finds insects may be more climate effecient than beef. Part of CNN's Two Degrees series.

world, Climate change: Does eating bugs help? - CNN

Two Degrees: Does eating bugs help fight climate change?

On Fridays, CNN answers one of our audience's climate change questions as part of the Two Degrees series. Ask your question by filling out this online form. And sign up for the Two Degrees newsletter to learn more. (CNN)Earlier this week, I wrote a column for CNN Opinion about the climate cost of beef production -- arguing we have to cut back on steak and hamburgers to avoid dangerous warming. In response, Torben Ørvad Jensen, a reader in Denmark, asked why we don't substitute a fairly unconventional protein source -- grasshoppers -- for cattle. Would that help reduce human contributions to global warming?"How can we get the governments around the world to see, that one of the the answer to both famine and climate change, is breeding new kinds of livestock like grasshoppers?" he asked.Why beef is the new SUV"Insects are not the answer to everything," he added, "but its one of the great changes that could be fundamental to fighting climate change in the long run."Read MoreI'm not sure about the "convincing world leaders" part, but there is some research to show Jensen may have a point about insects having smaller carbon footprints than other protein sources, especially beef, which has an outsize contribution to global warming.Insects the protein of the future?To try to understand why, and the limits of our knowledge about insect protein, I called up Dennis Oonincx, an entomologist at Wageningen University and Research Centre in The Netherlands. Insects are generally far more efficient at turning their food into protein than cattle, he said, which eat low-nutrient grass and burp out methane in the process. Why world leaders are eating 'landfill salad' and cucumber-butt picklesBut to date, Oonincx told me, researchers only have studied the total carbon footprint associated with one edible insect: the mealworm. According to a 2012 study Oonincx published in the journal PLOS ONE, mealworms have a smaller carbon footprint, per kilogram of edible protein, than milk, pork, chicken or beef. Beef, for example, has a carbon footprint about six to 13 times the size of mealworms, per kilogram of edible protein, the study says.Oonincx told me the results likely would be similar for edible crickets, but that research has not quantified exactly how much crickets contribute to climate change. Crickets likely would have a slightly larger carbon footprint, similar to that of pork or milk. "If you look at the attributes of these crickets and these mealworms, certain things are very similar," he told me. "They both need a warm environment, so they need a lot of energy. Both are efficient at using the feed. And they have a very high edible portion."If you have a cow, there's a lot of the cow you're not going to be eating. And if you have a cricket, you have 80% or 90% of the animal that you can consume."To understand how mealworms could contribute to climate change, at all you kind of need to know how they're grown -- and what the heck a mealworm farm looks like. Why beef is the new SUVA mealworm farm is basically a building full of stacks of crates about 12 feet high, Oonincx said. "That's actually all you see," he said. "It's crates and crates and crates and crates."Inside the crates are mealworms, which munch on a diet of well, meal. Have a climate question? Ask it here!What is meal? Partly wheat (also carrots, weirdly). And more than half of the mealworm's contribution to climate change comes from growing this worm food. The other sizable chunk -- 40% to 45%, he told me -- is associated with burning fuel to keep the mealworms at a comfortable temperature of about 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit). Mealworms don't like to be too hot or cold. Burning cleaner energy -- wind or solar, for example -- would further reduce the mealworm's already-small contribution to global warming. "It's still a very young sector," Oonincx told me. "It still needs to grow up a little bit to become more efficient, and when it becomes more efficient you'll also see the environmental impact go down. You'll be using more precise rations to feed them. You can use genetic selection to make" the mealworms better users or resources. Why world leaders ate 'landfill salad'All of that's well and good, but how do you go about convincing everyday people -- much less world leaders -- to eat mealworms? Aside from the gross factor, which CNN's Rachel Crane recently argued shouldn't be such a big deal ("They tasted a bit like the farm smelled -- nutty and grainy," she wrote of crickets), part of the problem is access. In the United States, it would be more or less impossible to find locally produced mealworms for human consumption, he said. Mealworms would not be my favorite insects to eat. I'm more a fan of cicadas and termites.Dennis OonincxBut that's not true everywhere. "If you're living in Holland, you would be able to order these mealworms," Oonincx told me. "You would have access to that. "And then I would advise you to buy 'The Insect Cookbook,' or one of the insect cookbooks."Then there's the question of variety. Because even though the carbon footprint of mealworms is the best-researched, these nutty-flavored insects aren't necessarily the most appetizing. Oonincx told me he ate a nice mealworm bon bon, made for him by a student, just this week. But "the mealworms would not be my favorite insects to eat," he said. "I'm more a fan of cicadas and termites."Ask a question and shape CNN's coverageRead more about the Two Degrees seriesSubscribe to the Two Degrees newsletter

CNN Staff

2015-09-11 14:08:39

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Your questions about climate change answered - CNN

Each Friday, CNN answers one of your questions on climate change, which is one of the most important topics that far too few of us are talking about.

climate change, environment, oceans, pollution, global sustainability, opinions, Your questions about climate change answered - CNN

Your climate change questions answered

Story highlightsEvery Friday, we'll answer your climate change questions here and on CNN InternationalTo submit a question, go to this Google Form; you could end up on TVCNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. (CNN)Each Friday, CNN will answer one of your questions on climate change, which is one of the most important (and confusing) topics that far too few of us are talking about. To submit a question, fill out this Google Form. Answers will show up here and on CNN International. In other words: Ask a question, and you could end up on TV.This ongoing Q&A is part of CNN's Two° series. For more, check out the Two° homepage and consider signing up for our weekly newsletter. And thank you! -- John Sutter, CNN columnist JUST WATCHEDOceans' food chain could collapseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOceans' food chain could collapse 01:26Q: Will climate change cause an ocean food chain collapse? (October 23)Question from William Breyer, Indian Harbour Beach, FloridaAnswer by Jennifer Gray, CNN MeteorologistRead MoreAnswer: Yes, according to a recent study by Adelaide University in Australia. Why? Well, we know that carbon dioxide is increasing globally and the oceans absorb huge amounts of CO2 each year. When this happens, the pH levels of the ocean are reduced. That's because CO2 is an acid gas and when it dissolves in water, including seawater, it forms carbonic acid.As CO2 dissolves into the oceans, it fundamentally alters ocean chemistry, making it more acidic. This acid addition is where the name "ocean acidification" comes from and is why ocean pH is declining worldwide.One marine ecologist who has studied the issue says warmer waters are creating higher metabolic rates that, in turn, are creating a bigger demand for food.Read more of Jennifer Gray's detailed answer hereJUST WATCHEDFloodwater covers South Carolina neighborhoodReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFloodwater covers South Carolina neighborhood 01:32Q: Were South Carolina floods caused by climate change? (October 8)Question from Sital Sathia, Chicago, IllinoisAnswer by Brandon Miller, meteorologist, CNN InternationalAnswer: Attributing extreme weather events to climate change is one of the most important aspects of climate change research. It's also controversial.The reason for the latter: It's difficult to prove a single weather event was "caused" by humans burning fossil fuels and warming the planet. After all, extreme weather has occurred all over our planet long before humans started interfering with the climate system. But scientists are clear that some extreme weather events are influenced by global warming.Was the recent, devastating flooding in South Carolina caused by climate change? We don't know for sure, at least not yet. More research is needed. But we know this event has the fingerprints of climate change all over it.This flooding contained a combination of several extreme weather events that we expect to occur more frequently as a result of global warming -- including extreme precipitation (i.e. a lot of rain falling in a short amount of time) and coastal flooding.Read more of Brandon Miller's detailed answer hereJUST WATCHEDBugging out: America's first edible cricket farmReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHBugging out: America's first edible cricket farm 03:41Q: Does eating bugs help fight climate change? (October 8)Question from Torben Ørvad Jensen, DenmarkAnswer by John D. Sutter, CNN columnistAnswer: A 2012 study shows that mealworms have a smaller carbon footprint, per kilogram of edible protein, than milk, pork, chicken or beef. Beef, for example, has a carbon footprint about six to 13 times the size of mealworms, per kilogram of edible protein, the study says.Dutch entomologist Dennis Oonincx, who published the study, told me the results likely would be similar for edible crickets -- which are being grown on farms as a way to help combat global food insecurity. Scientific research has not quantified exactly how much crickets contribute to climate change, although Oonincx points out that crickets likely would have a slightly larger carbon footprint, similar to that of pork or milk.Read more of John Sutter's detailed answer here Q: Why don't more conservative Christians believe in climate change? (September 25)Question from Wayne Stoll, Ladysmith, WisconsinAnswer by John D. Sutter, CNN columnistAnswer: "Climate change is a problem that can no longer be left to a future generation." That's one religious leader -- the Pope -- speaking in front of the White House. But as Wayne Stoll, our reader in Wisconsin, points out in this week's Two° question, some conservative Christian leaders have not joined Pope Francis on this issue. Many of them don't see climate change, as he does, as a moral outrage -- and cause for urgent action. Take the Cornwall Alliance, which wrote an open letter to Pope Francis in April urging him not to support efforts to rid the world of fossil fuels. "Such policies," the group wrote, "would condemn hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings to ongoing poverty. We respectfully appeal to you to advise the world's leaders to reject them." The group, in its letter, also rejects mainstream climate science, saying computer models provide "no rational basis to forecast dangerous human-induced global warming."These views seem to be reflected among some churchgoers, with conservative Christians being less likely to accept mainstream climate science that says the climate is warming and humans largely are to blame. And even among religious Republicans there's an apparent split between Catholics and Protestants. Catholic Republicans, for example, are more likely to say global warming is happening than their non-Catholic Republican counterparts, according to a survey by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. Catholics and nonevangelical Protestants in the United States, according to that group, also are more likely to say humans are causing climate change than evangelicals. So how do religious climate doubters justify their views? I got a window into that earlier this year after I spent a week in Woodward County, Oklahoma, which is highly religious and, statistically, is one of the most climate-skeptical places in the United States. I met some conservative Christians in Woodward County who see climate change as a sign of the end times. They think it's happening, but they see it as God's punishment for an upside down world, and therefore don't think we can or should do anything about it. Others seemed almost too humble to accept climate science. They said humans are too small -- too insignificant in the face of the all-knowing, all-doing Creator -- to actually alter the global climactic system. For others, rejecting mainstream climate science seems more a matter of politics.You can hear climate doubters in their own words in this video from Woodward: JUST WATCHEDOpinion: Common ground with climate skepticsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHOpinion: Common ground with climate skeptics 03:23The underlying message in much of this: God is in control. Humans can't possibly be messing things up this bad.But there's a rebuttal to that argument. "The answer to that is pretty simple: It's free will," Katharine Hayhoe, an evangelical Christian and climate scientist at Texas Tech, told NPR. "God gave us the brains to make good choices, and there's consequences to the choices that we make."Meanwhile, religious leaders of all stripes continue to call for action. Muslim scholars, for example, recently issued the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, which prods world leaders to move quickly slash carbon emissions to zero. "(W)e have now become a force dominating nature," they write. "Our species, though selected to be a caretaker or steward on the Earth, has been the cause of such corruption and devastation on it that we are in danger ending life as we know it on our planet."And there's diversity of thought among conservative Christians, too. "It is God's love that calls all of us to take on this challenge," says a letter posted on the website for the Evangelical Environmental Network, addressed to President Obama. "That is why we write to offer our support and encouragement for your efforts to overcome the climate challenge."Perhaps more conservative religious leaders will start speaking up. Q: What do the U.S. presidential contenders think about global warming? (September 18)Behold! The audience question we're taking this week for CNN #2degrees. Submit yours here: https://t.co/CXICRX79jQ https://t.co/xqNUlwJ6Ty— John D. Sutter (@jdsutter) September 18, 2015 Question from Randy McNamara, San FranciscoAnswer by John D. Sutter, CNN columnistAnswer: We got yet another frightening glimpse this week at the CNN Republican debate of what some U.S. presidential contenders think (or don't think) of climate science. Here's a back-and-forth between moderator Jake Tapper and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a noted skeptic of the science saying the Earth is warming and we're causing it. Tapper: "Sen. Rubio, Ronald Reagan's secretary of state, George Shultz, reminds us that when Reagan was president he faced a similar situation to the one that we're facing now. There were dire warnings from the mass consensus of the scientific community about the ozone layer shrinking. Shultz says Ronald Reagan urged skeptics in industry to come up with a plan. He said, 'Do it as an insurance policy in case the scientists are right.' The scientists were right. Reagan and his approach worked. Secretary Shultz asks, 'Why not take out an insurance policy and approach climate change the Reagan way?' "Rubio: "Because we're not going to destroy our economy the way the left-wing government that we are under now wants to do. We're not going to. ..."Tapper: "I'm citing (Republican) George Shultz."Rubio: "Well, and I don't -- he may have lined up with their positions on this issue. But here is the bottom line. Every proposal they put forward are going to be proposals that will make it harder to do business in America, that will make it harder to create jobs in America. ... Maybe a billionaire here in California can afford an increase in their utility rates, but a working family in Tampa, Florida, or anywhere across this country cannot afford it."The obvious irony: Florida, Rubio's state, is among the most vulnerable to rising seas, which are associated with the increase in global temperatures caused by humans. A recent study found that if we burned all available fossil fuels, Florida would be almost completely underwater. Rubio: "Jake, you ... called me a denier. ..."Tapper: "I called you a skeptic."Rubio: "OK, a skeptic. You can measure the climate. You can measure it. That's not the issue we're discussing. Here is what I'm skeptical of. I'm skeptical of the decisions that the left wants us to make, because I know the impact those are going to have and they're all going to be on our economy. They will not do a thing to lower the rise of the sea. They will not do a thing to cure the drought here in California. But what they will do is they will make America a more expensive place to create jobs."From that exchange, maybe you get a sense of how difficult it is to answer reader Randy McNamara's question about where these presidential candidates stand on climate change. As the science about climate change become abundantly clear -- the climate is warming, with potentially disastrous consequences, and human fossil fuel emissions are the main cause -- U.S. presidential hopefuls have gotten better at dodging attempts to classify them. It seems none wants to be labeled a "denier" or a "skeptic," even if their policies suggest otherwise. Rubio, who does acknowledge climate change is happening, actually has been very clear in the past. "I do not believe that human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it," he told ABC's Jonathan Karl in 2014. Other candidates have made similar, anti-science statements and then later tried to soften their stances. "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese to make U.S. manufacturing noncompetitive," Donald Trump tweeted in November 2012. He later told Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union" that the tweet was meant to be "sarcastic." But Trump also told Tapper he is "not a huge believer in the global warming phenomena. ..." This stuff is exhausting, right?There are several candidates -- among them Democrats Hillary Clinton, Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders as well as Republican Lindsey Graham -- who have clearly stated that they acknowledge the reality of climate science and (crucially) would work to curb fossil fuel emissions. "When 90% of the doctors tell you you've got a problem, do you listen to the one?" Graham told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" in June. "At the end of the day, I do believe that the CO2 emission problem all over the world is hurting our environment. But the solution is a pro-business solution to a lower-carbon economy."I'd encourage the others to make their positions that clear. And I'd ask journalists to continue to push, as Tapper did Wednesday, for more-specific statements on whether these candidates believe humans are causing climate change by burning fossil fuels, and, if so, what would they do about it. The American public, including McNamara, our reader in San Francisco, deserves a much higher level of discourse on this crucial topic.The CNN Library contributed to this report.Q: Who are the 97% of scientists who believe climate change is caused by people? (September 11) JUST WATCHEDWhere does '97% consensus' on climate change come from?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhere does '97% consensus' on climate change come from? 02:55Question from Mark D., Raleigh, North CarolinaAnswer by Brandon Miller, meteorologist, CNN InternationalAnswer: We hear the term "scientific consensus" bantered about a lot when discussing climate change, and the 97% number -- which refers to the percentage of active climate scientists who believe people are causing climate change by burning fossil fuels -- is widely cited. There's a NASA page dissecting and touting the figure. Even President Barack Obama tweeted it. But where does this number actually come from? And who are these "97%" scientists? First, here's where the number comes from: There are a few studies and surveys that have found an overwhelming majority of scientists who study climate change agree that the climate is warming and that humans are responsible for it. One of the largest and most widely referenced studies was published in 2009 by Peter Doran and Maggie Kendall Zimmerman. These researchers polled more than 3,000 Earth scientists, asking them simply 1) if they believed that the planet was warming, and 2) if human activity was a significant contributor in changing the global temperature.The scientists came from a variety of fields within Earth science (geology, oceanography, paleontology and meteorology, to name a few). Ninety percent had Ph.D.s and 7% had master's degrees. Nine in 10 of the scientists said global temperatures are rising and 82% said this rise is because of human activities such as burning fossil fuels and putting more heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. But they didn't stop there. To gauge the view of the scientists with the most expertise, the authors also looked specifically at responses from climate science experts -- meaning those who published 50% of their research in that field. For that group, the consensus was even more striking. More than 97% agreed that humans are causing the Earth's temperature to rise.Two°: Five techniques of climate change denialResearchers keep getting similar results. An exhaustive review of published research on climate change was performed in a 2013 study by John Cook. The study looked at nearly 12,000 published studies over 20 years across a number of scientific, peer-reviewed journals containing the words "global warming" and "global climate change." Of those studies, approximately one-third stated a position on whether climate change was caused by humans, and, of those who stated a position on that subject, 97.1% of the research showed humans are causing the climate to change. Mark D., the reader in North Carolina who asked about the 97%, also wanted to know, specifically, whether it's fair to say climate scientists have a bias ... simply because they're climate scientists. It's an interesting point, but it's worth noting that science is dedicated to independent thinking. Scientists test, replicate and question their hypotheses. And, perhaps counterintuitively, there's actually an incentive for them to try to disprove deeply held scientific theories.They haven't been able to do that for climate change. "When people say scientists promote climate change to get grant money, it is an immediate sign they do not understand how grants are funded," Marshall Shepherd, director of the Atmospheric Sciences program at the University of Georgia, and publisher of research studies on climate change, wrote in an email. "It would actually be in the best interest of scientists to say to a funding source, 'We don't know if human-caused climate change is happening, so fund us to figure it out.' "Two°: The most climate-skeptical place in America Scientists are trying to question our understanding of this subject, and science is all about cataloging ongoing discovery. But our very best understanding of the science overwhelmingly indicates that the climate is changing and that humans likely are to blame. That's shown both in the research and among the views of experts in climate science. To wrap up, consider this: More than 200 scientific associations from all over the world, including the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, all support this consensus.Have a climate question? Ask it here, and your question might be answered next week.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-04-24 14:18:58

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/24/opinions/sutter-questions-two-degrees-climate/index.html

Climate change: 7 questions on 2 degrees (Opinion) - CNN

CNN's John Sutter answers questions about 2 degrees Celsius of warming, which is when climate change gets especially dangerous, according to experts.

opinions, Climate change: 7 questions on 2 degrees (Opinion) - CNN

Climate: 7 questions on 2 degrees

Story highlightsExperts have raised red flags about the warming of planet by 2 degrees CelsiusJohn Sutter: This one little number is significant as a way to focus world's attention on problemCNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge impact on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)We're 2 degrees from a different world. Humans never have lived on a planet that's 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) warmer than it was before we started burning fossil fuels, in the late 1800s, and climate experts say we risk fundamentally changing life on this planet if we do cross that 2-degree mark."This is gambling with the planet," said Gernot Wagner, the lead senior economist at the Environmental Defense Fund and co-author of the book "Climate Shock."Think super droughts, rising seas and mass extinctions. Yet for all of its importance, I don't think the 2-degree threshold is as famous as it should be. I've heard it referred to as the "north star" for climate negotiations. Meaning: This one little number carries huge importance as a way to focus the world's attention.Read MoreIt's so significant that it's going to be the subject of my reporting for the rest of the year. I'm calling that effort "2 degrees," and I need your help to make it work. Until 5 p.m. ET Monday, you can vote on the first story I'll report for the series. Vote using the Facebook poll below (or go here if you don't see it.)Tell CNN's John Sutter which of these climate change stories you like best - and he'll report on the winner. This poll closes Monday, April 27, at 5pm ET. #2degreesPosted by CNN on Tuesday, April 21, 2015All of those story ideas came from you, by the way. They focus on what a 2-degree world might look like.CNN kicked off this effort with a Facebook chat last week. We asked for your questions about climate change and about the 2-degree threshold, specifically.I don't have all the answers right now. We'll continue to explore the importance of this number together. But below you'll find quick responses to seven basic questions about this crucial number. Many of them come straight from you, the readers. And I tossed in a couple of my own. If you'd like to follow this project as it evolves, I'd encourage you to sign up for the "2 degrees" newsletter. And feel free to ask more questions in the comments section below. They'll shape the way I spend the rest of the year reporting on this super-critical number.1. Where did the idea for 2 degrees come from? One guy, it turns out. William Nordhaus, an economist at Yale. Nordhaus, 73, proposed the 2-degree threshold in a 1977 (1977!) paper titled "Economic Growth and Climate: The Carbon Dioxide Problem." The estimate was "crude, but it was a reasonable first start," he told me. "If there were global temperatures more than 2 or 3 degrees above the current average temperature, this would take the climate outside of the range of observations which have been made over the last several hundred thousand years," he wrote in "The Climate Casino."A growing body of research now supports the idea.2. How did 2 degrees become the international standard?Science has continued to raise red flags about 2 degrees of warming. And that work has led policy experts to conclude that a 2-degree world is something none of us should want. "You need a judgment call for these things," said Carlo Jaeger, chair of the Global Climate Forum, who has written on the history of 2 degrees Celsius. "And this 2-degree thing was a judgment call that happened at the interface of science and policy."Germany was first to push 2 degrees as an policy goal, Jaeger told me. That happened in the 1990s. Later came the European Commission, the G8, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and, most significantly, the Copenhagen Accord, which was signed by more than 100 nations who agreed 2 degrees would be too much.The United States was among the signatories. 3. What would the world look like at 2 degrees?I'm going to spend the month of May exploring this question, so look for more on this. But here are some striking facts about what scientists expect a post-2-degree world to look like. These are pulled from reports by the National Research Council, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Bank. • Wildfires in the United States are expected to increase 400% to 800% in size. • Hurricanes are expected to become 2% to 8% more intense.• A range of species will be at risk for extinction, particularly amphibians. The IPCC estimates 20% to 30% of animals and plants species will be at "increasingly high risk of extinction" at or near the 2-degree mark.• The Arctic is expected keep melting, losing 30% of its annual average sea ice.• Certain crop yields in the United States, India and Africa are expected to decrease 10% to 30%.• The availability of freshwater is expected to decline by 20%. So ... not good.And numbers don't convey the emotional toll."I'm from New Mexico," said Nordhaus, the economist who proposed the 2-degree threshold. "I love it there, and I know it's going to be a completely different climate. The trout fishing probably won't be as good. The hiking won't be as good. These forests may look completely different, or burn down. I love to ski. It's one of my things I love most. And that's obviously affected by warming. I love the ocean, and the New England coastline, and it's in peril. That's just for starters."4. What happens at 2.1 degrees? No one knows, exactly. Think of 2 degrees like a sort of speed limit -- or a zone of increased risk. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech, told me that burning fossil fuels is like smoking. How many cigarettes give you cancer? No one knows, exactly. But the more you smoke, the more you up your risk. And 2 degrees, policy experts agree, is certainly risky territory.Plus, everyone hates a fraction. Targeting 1 degree of warming is "ridiculous because you can't do it," said Nordhaus, the economist. "Three sounds too high. And you can't have a fraction because it's too complicated. "So two is kind of an obvious number."5. How much has the climate warmed already? The climate already has warmed 0.85 degrees since the Industrial Revolution. And we reasonably can expect to reach 1.5 degrees simply based on the pollution we're already putting into the atmosphere, even with "very ambitious mitigation action" to reduce carbon emissions, according to a 2014 report from the World Bank. Some of that warming is "locked-in to the Earth's atmospheric system," that organization says. The impacts of climate change already are being felt. 6. Is it possible to stay below 2 degrees?Yes, but it won't be easy."If you want to stay below 2 degrees, you have to reduce emissions at an amazing speed -- to an incredible degree," said Jaeger from the Global Climate Forum. Here's the best guess for what that "amazing speed" might need to look like: Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by some 80% to 90% by 2050, said Jennifer Morgan, global director of the climate program at the World Resources Institute. "It depends on how much risk you want to accept," she said. Some activists, including those from 350.org and Avaaz, which together organized the largest climate change rally in history last year in New York, want to accept less risk than that. "Our position is 100% clean energy," said David Sievers, a senior campaigner for Avaaz.7. What happens if we don't take action? If we continue burning fossil fuels at the current rate, we could hit 2 degrees of warming before midcentury. Scarier still, we could hit 3 to 5 degrees of warming by 2100.Some writers have called for the world to abandon the 2-degree target, saying it's too ambitious, or even naive. But we need a yardstick to measure progress -- and we need that "north star" to help us set goals that actually would be weighty enough to make a dent in this problem.If you think 2 degrees sounds bad, 5 degrees is far, far worse. The IPCC expects a 5-degree world to be characterized by "major extinctions around the globe" and a "reconfiguration of coastlines worldwide." Just beyond that, at 6 degrees, we're looking a "catastro-f***" that would be almost "infinitely costly," said Wagner, the Environmental Defense Fund economist. "It's akin to killing the planet, basically. Or society on the planet."This much should be clear: Something has to change.If we shoot for 2 degrees and end up at 3, that's still better (or less awful) than 5 or 6. What's important is that we maintain a sense of urgency, and keep sight of the goal. Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMelting polar ice caps – The consequences of climate change go far beyond warming temperatures, which scientists say are melting the polar ice caps and raising sea levels. Click through the gallery for a look at 10 other key effects of climate change, some of which may surprise you.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDrought – In the coming decades climate change will unleash megadroughts lasting 10 years or more, according to a new report by scholars at Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey. We're seeing hints of this already in many arid parts of the world and even in California, which has been rationing water amid record drought. In this 2012 photo, a man places his hand on parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldWildfires – There's not a direct link between climate change and wildfires, exactly. But many scientists believe the increase in wildfires in the Western United States is partly the result of tinder-dry forests parched by warming temperatures. This photo shows a wildfire as it approaches the shore of Bass Lake, California, in mid-September. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldCoral reefs – Scientists say the oceans' temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. It doesn't sound like much, but it's been enough to affect the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs, which have been bleaching and dying off in recent decades. This photo shows dead coral off the coast of St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh.Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldFood prices – A U.N. panel found in March that climate change -- mostly drought -- is already affecting the global agricultural supply and will likely drive up food prices. Here, in 2010, workers on combines harvest soybeans in northern Brazil. Global food experts have warned that climate change could double grain prices by 2050. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldPollen allergies – Are you sneezing more often these days? Climate change may be to blame for that, too. Recent studies show that rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels promote the growth of weedy plant species that produce allergenic pollen. The worst place in the United States for spring allergies in 2014, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America? Louisville, Kentucky. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDeforestation – Climate change has not been kind to the world's forests. Invasive species such as the bark beetle, which thrive in warmer temperatures, have attacked trees across the North American west, from Mexico to the Yukon. University of Colorado researchers have found that some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations per year, dramatically boosting the bugs' threat to lodgepole and ponderosa pines. In this 2009 photo, dead spruces of the Yukon's Alsek River valley attest to the devastation wrought by the beetles.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMountain glaciers – The snows capping majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, once inspired Ernest Hemingway. Now they're in danger of melting away altogether. Studies suggest that if the mountain's snowcap continues to evaporate at its current rate, it could be gone in 15 years. Here, a Kilimanjaro glacier is viewed from Uhuru Peak in December 2010.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldEndangered species – Polar bears may be the poster child for climate change's effect on animals. But scientists say climate change is wreaking havoc on many other species -- including birds and reptiles -- that are sensitive to fluctuations in temperatures. One, this golden toad of Costa Rica and other Central American countries, has already gone extinct.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldAnimal migration – It's not your imagination: Some animals -- mostly birds -- are migrating earlier and earlier every year because of warming global temperatures. Scholars from the University of East Anglia found that Icelandic black-tailed godwits have advanced their migration by two weeks over the past two decades. Researchers also have found that many species are migrating to higher elevations as temperatures climb.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldExtreme weather – The planet could see as many as 20 more hurricanes and tropical storms each year by the end of the century because of climate change, according to a 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This image shows Superstorm Sandy bearing down on the New Jersey coast in 2012.Hide Caption 11 of 11Please be in touch! I need your help to make this work.Email questions to: climate (at) cnn (dot) com. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-04-21 19:58:14

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/opinions/sutter-climate-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change: 'Two degrees' may decide the future - CNN

If we warm the world another 2 degrees Celsius, experts say we risk super droughts, extinctions and worse.

opinions, Climate change: 'Two degrees' may decide the future - CNN

2 degrees: The most important number you've never heard of

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge impact on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)tl;dr version: You can vote on the first story I'll report as part of this new series on 2 degrees Celsius -- which is the agreed-upon threshold for dangerous climate change. Go here if you don't see the poll. Thanks!* * * * *In 2013, I did something that's a little scary for a journalist.I asked you to tell me what to cover. In the two years since, I've traveled the world writing about social justice issues that you selected in an online poll: I went undercover in Southeast Asia to follow the illegal trade in the pangolin, the world's most trafficked mammal; I flew to a lawless town in Alaska to learn why that state has America's highest rate of reported rape; I spent three weeks kayaking (and walking) a river in California that's so dry it fails to reach the sea; and I met a family in Silicon Valley that's living in a garage despite that region's booming wealth from the technology sector. Read MoreThose experiences have strengthened my belief in the power of democratic journalism. Editors shouldn't get all the control. You, the audience, have a vital say, too.Still, in the two years since I asked for your ideas, I haven't done much, if anything, to address one of the topics you most frequently asked me to cover: climate change. I'm hoping to make good on your request now. Starting today, Earth Day, I'm planning to spend the rest of the year writing about one tiny little number -- 2 degrees. It may be the most important number you've never heard of. Maybe that plan sounds excessive. (Eight months reporting on one number!?) But here's why it matters: If we humans warm the world more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), we greatly up the odds of climate catastrophes. Think super droughts, rising seas, mass extinctions and acidifying oceans. We don't want to cross that mark.Humans never have lived in post-2-degree world, said Carlo Jaeger, chair of the Global Climate Forum, based in Germany, and author of a paper on this history of 2 degrees."If we start warming the planet way beyond what humans have ever experienced, God knows what will wait for us," he told me. Good news, though. If we drastically cut carbon emissions, we can stay below the 2-degree threshold. As part of this series, I'll be exploring exactly what it would take to do so.This matters a great deal this year, since the United Nations will gather leaders and policy experts in Paris in December to try to hammer out a new international agreement on climate change. Two degrees will be one useful benchmark to see if the world is on track."It's almost kind of like a truth keeping mechanism," said Jennifer Morgan, global director of the climate change program at the World Resources Institute. "It would be hard if it didn't exist to have a sense of whether countries are on track or not."It's not a perfect yardstick. But it's a reasonable one. Think of it like a speed limit, said Jaeger, the economist in Germany. Would a 51 mph limit be better than 50? Or maybe it should be 49? The point isn't the exact number, it's the ballpark: 200 mph would certainly be too fast, as he put it, but 20 mph is too slow. For climate change, the point is we don't know the world will fall into crisis at exactly 2 degrees and not 2.1 or 1.8. But that range is certainly dangerous."The way I think of it is like smoking," said Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist and director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech. "How many cigarettes are too many? I don't know. I have no idea. Nobody has any idea. But we do know the more cigarettes you smoke, the greater the risk."Two degrees, then, is our most educated estimate. A way to focus attention. It's incredibly valuable in that respect. Since the number emerged from a relatively obscure academic paper in the 1970s, it's become widely agreed upon in the international community. In 2009, for example, 114 countries initially signed onto the "Copenhagen Accord," a nonbinding agreement that recognizes the "scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius."That level of consensus is rare on this topic. "If there's one thing the world has agreed upon about climate change it's 2 degrees should be the benchmark," said Jamie Henn, co-founder of 350.org, an advocacy group.I'll be writing more about the origins of 2 degrees soon -- where this number came from (one guy, turns out, and I chatted with him), how soon we may cross that mark if we don't take action (short answer: 2050), and how much we've warmed the planet since the start of the industrial revolution, in the late 1800s, which is how these temperature increases are usually measured (0.85 degrees).Right now, though, I'd like to ask you to do something that's scary and exciting. I want you to vote on the first project I'll report for this series.All of the options center on one theme: What does a post-2-degree world look like?I love that question because it -- like all six choices you'll see below -- came from you.CNN hosted a Facebook chat on Friday, asking our audience to come up with questions for me about climate change or about 2 degrees of warming. Many of you said you wanted to know what a 2-degree world would have in store, in general. Other folks asked about specific impacts to people and ecosystems if the climate continues to inch toward that dangerous 2-degree mark.Clay Miller, from Alaska, for example, asked about the Arctic.Cindy Johnson wanted to know which animals would go extinct first.Jon Locke was among those curious about farms. And many of you, including Kayla Helton, from Florida, asked about rising seas. Kelly, a 48-year-old from California, wanted to know what would happen to "climate refugees" as the coast vanishes.Now it's your turn. Pick the idea you like best. Tell CNN's John Sutter which of these climate change stories you like best - and he'll report on the winner. This poll closes Monday, April 27, at 5pm ET. #2degreesPosted by CNN on Tuesday, April 21, 2015The topic with the most votes on Monday at 5 p.m. ET is the one I'll report in May.Look for more votes like this in the future as we explore this number together.If you'd like to follow along, consider subscribing to my "2-degree" newsletter. Or you can track me down on the usual social networks, including Snapchat. I'm @jdsutter on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I think of this kind of like non-fiction improv: You throw out the prompts, and I'll go out there looking for the most interesting and informative story. It's an experiment, to be sure. And it scares the hell out of me. But climate change is a topic so big -- so critical to the future of our planet and humanity species -- that we've gotta be in this together. Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMelting polar ice caps – The consequences of climate change go far beyond warming temperatures, which scientists say are melting the polar ice caps and raising sea levels. Click through the gallery for a look at 10 other key effects of climate change, some of which may surprise you.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDrought – In the coming decades climate change will unleash megadroughts lasting 10 years or more, according to a new report by scholars at Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey. We're seeing hints of this already in many arid parts of the world and even in California, which has been rationing water amid record drought. In this 2012 photo, a man places his hand on parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldWildfires – There's not a direct link between climate change and wildfires, exactly. But many scientists believe the increase in wildfires in the Western United States is partly the result of tinder-dry forests parched by warming temperatures. This photo shows a wildfire as it approaches the shore of Bass Lake, California, in mid-September. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldCoral reefs – Scientists say the oceans' temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. It doesn't sound like much, but it's been enough to affect the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs, which have been bleaching and dying off in recent decades. This photo shows dead coral off the coast of St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh.Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldFood prices – A U.N. panel found in March that climate change -- mostly drought -- is already affecting the global agricultural supply and will likely drive up food prices. Here, in 2010, workers on combines harvest soybeans in northern Brazil. Global food experts have warned that climate change could double grain prices by 2050. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldPollen allergies – Are you sneezing more often these days? Climate change may be to blame for that, too. Recent studies show that rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels promote the growth of weedy plant species that produce allergenic pollen. The worst place in the United States for spring allergies in 2014, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America? Louisville, Kentucky. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDeforestation – Climate change has not been kind to the world's forests. Invasive species such as the bark beetle, which thrive in warmer temperatures, have attacked trees across the North American west, from Mexico to the Yukon. University of Colorado researchers have found that some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations per year, dramatically boosting the bugs' threat to lodgepole and ponderosa pines. In this 2009 photo, dead spruces of the Yukon's Alsek River valley attest to the devastation wrought by the beetles.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMountain glaciers – The snows capping majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, once inspired Ernest Hemingway. Now they're in danger of melting away altogether. Studies suggest that if the mountain's snowcap continues to evaporate at its current rate, it could be gone in 15 years. Here, a Kilimanjaro glacier is viewed from Uhuru Peak in December 2010.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldEndangered species – Polar bears may be the poster child for climate change's effect on animals. But scientists say climate change is wreaking havoc on many other species -- including birds and reptiles -- that are sensitive to fluctuations in temperatures. One, this golden toad of Costa Rica and other Central American countries, has already gone extinct.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldAnimal migration – It's not your imagination: Some animals -- mostly birds -- are migrating earlier and earlier every year because of warming global temperatures. Scholars from the University of East Anglia found that Icelandic black-tailed godwits have advanced their migration by two weeks over the past two decades. Researchers also have found that many species are migrating to higher elevations as temperatures climb.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldExtreme weather – The planet could see as many as 20 more hurricanes and tropical storms each year by the end of the century because of climate change, according to a 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This image shows Superstorm Sandy bearing down on the New Jersey coast in 2012.Hide Caption 11 of 11

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-11-20 02:57:02

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/19/opinions/sutter-climate-talks-paris-attacks/index.html

ISIS won't derail Paris climate talks - CNN

John Sutter: It's clear ISIS wants us to be afraid, but the vitally important Paris climate conference must go on

opinions, ISIS won't derail Paris climate talks - CNN

ISIS won't derail Paris climate talks

Story highlightsJohn Sutter: ISIS wants to spread fear; the Paris attacks resulted in cancellation of climate marchHe says the attacks aren't likely to derail the vitally important climate conference, set for late this monthCNN columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "Two Degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. (CNN)It's clear ISIS wants us to be afraid. Witness the terrorist group's attempts to intimidate New York this week. The city's mayor says there's no credible threat of a terror attack on the city, but just the insinuation of one is enough to send chills down a person's spine. I'm in the process of slowly making my way to Paris for the much-anticipated U.N. climate summit there, which begins November 30 and is, in my view, the most important climate change negotiations the world has ever seen. The talks, which often are called "COP21," a reference to the 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, will continue, with many heads of state, including Barack Obama, set to be in attendance. "Of course #COP21 proceeds as planned" despite the terror attacks on Paris last Friday, which killed at least 129 people, Christiana Figueres, head of the UNFCCC, tweeted on Sunday. "Even more so now" that terror has struck.After terror, should Paris climate talks go on?That resilience only goes so far, though. On Wednesday, the environmental group 350.org announced it was forced to cancel two massive public demonstrations that had been planned in Paris to coincide with the all-important climate summit. One event, the People's Climate March, had been planned for November 29, and was expected by organizers to draw some 200,000 people, which would have made it one of the biggest demonstrations in history for the end of fossil fuels. Read MoreIt's an unfortunate development, if an understandable one. A small sign that we're letting ISIS scare us. And it raises an important question: Is ISIS -- and the fear and terror it's wrought following attacks in France, Lebanon and over Egypt -- an unexpected and potentially credible threat to climate change action? It's certainly possible. The Paris talks were making some people nervous before the attacks, because they follow a series of failures for the international climate negotiations process. In countries from Denmark, where I happen to be at the moment, examining that country's progressive climate policies, to Peru, U.N. climate summits largely have failed to rally true, global support for a rapid transition away from the dirty fuels causing global warming. That public demonstrations now have been canceled is a huge blow to the talks. But will it really doom their chances of success? If anything, my hope is that the threat of ISIS will embolden world leaders and will engender a spirit of cooperation. As others have persuasively argued, continuing these talks, succeeding in the face of tragedy, is the "best response" possible. "The government can prohibit these demonstrations, but it cannot stop the mobilization and it won't prevent us strengthening the climate movement," Nicolas Haeringer, from 350.org, said in an e-mail. "Our voices will not be silenced."Indeed they won't. People from around the world -- from villagers fighting deforestation in Peru to people from distant coral atolls in the Pacific that could disappear if the talks aren't highly successful -- are still planning to be in Paris to insist upon action. I'm saddened masses of people won't be able to gather on the streets in Paris to show just how many people are demanding an end to the era of dirty fuels. But that does not mean the negotiations themselves are destined to fail. Perhaps we need to be looking for new ways -- both in other cities and online -- to help mobilize a truly global show of support for climate action. That would build on already-impressive momentum for these negotiations. The United States and China, the world's two biggest polluters, are pushing for strong cuts to carbon pollution. India appears to be playing along, too. And the United Kingdom just this week announced plans to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2025, with Energy Secretary Amber Rudd calling their continued use "perverse." There's growing consensus -- in the business world as well as in geeky government circles -- that the costs of burning dirty fuels like coal and oil are too great. It's entirely implausible ISIS was hoping to derail the U.N. climate negotiations by attacking Paris. But allowing the talks to continue, and ensuring they're successful, still would send a message to the terror group: The world is united against many threats to a peaceful and healthy future, and climate change is one of those. It's human nature to be scared. But we can't let our fears stand in the way of progress.

Maria Ivanova

2015-11-23 07:56:31

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/23/opinions/cop21-women-need-participate/index.html

COP21: Why more women need seats at the table - CNN

Women, particularly those in developing countries, are on the frontlines of a changing climate. Yet women's vulnerabilities remain hidden and their voices quiet.

climate, COP21, Paris, women, climate change, summit, weather, opinions, COP21: Why more women need seats at the table - CNN

Paris climate summit: Why more women need seats at the table

Story highlightsThe need to improve women's participation in climate negotiations was recognized in 2001Yet women continue to be underrepresented at high levels of climate change policy makingHere are fifteen women making a difference across all levels of climate changeMaria Ivanova is an associate professor of global governance and director, Center for Governance and Sustainability at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the authors. CNN is showcasing the work of The Conversation, a collaboration between journalists and academics to provide news analysis and commentary. The content is produced solely by The Conversation.Boston (CNN)Women, particularly those in developing countries, are on the frontlines of a changing climate. Extreme weather events, deforestation and loss of biodiversity threaten their survival and that of their families. Yet, when confronted with social and economic exclusion, women's vulnerabilities remain hidden and their voices quiet.Women have been severely underrepresented at high levels of policymaking around global environmental concerns as well. In the climate arena, the need to improve women's participation in negotiations was explicitly recognized by COP 7 in Marrakech in 2001 as the impact of gender balance on decision-making became more evident.Why is this a problem? Studies show that collective intelligence rises with the number of women in a group. Engaging a critical mass of women is linked to more progressive and positive outcomes and to more sustainability-focused decision-making across sectors.Yet, women have remained a notable minority in climate negotiations at both the national and international level, in the global scientific body on climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and in media debates about climate.Women's representation in bodies and boards in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ranges from 36% to 41%. The numbers drop to 26%-33% for female heads of national delegations. Only one in five authors of the 2014 IPCC fifth assessment report, and eight of 34 IPCC chairs, cochairs, and vice-chairs are women. Importantly, even though media coverage of climate change has increased significantly, only 15% of those interviewed on climate have been women.Read MoreREAD: 5 things you need to know about COP21The top 15 female climate championsJUST WATCHEDCNN looks ahead to the Paris Climate Change Conference with Christiana FigueresReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN looks ahead to the Paris Climate Change Conference with Christiana Figueres 10:34When it comes to the necessity of including women at all levels of climate policy, there is no better argument than the stories and successes of the dynamic women who are already making a difference. As an academic and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the UN Secretary-General, I have drafted a list of 15 women climate champions -- from activists to artists.The world's top climate policymaker today is a fearless Costa Rican woman, the daughter of José Figueres Ferrer, the president elected to three nonconsecutive terms who abolished the standing army and founded modern Costa Rican democracy. Referred to as a "climate revolutionary," "bridge-builder," "advocate and referee" and "UN's climate chief," Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UN climate change convention, is "climate change summitry's force of nature." A relentless optimist, she reminds people that "Impossible is not a fact; it's an attitude."Rachel Kyte, the World Bank's vice president and climate change envoy, emphasizes that we are at a point of inflection because of the growing pressure and motivation to create a more sustainable economy. Kyte has championed groundbreaking global initiatives on carbon pricing and performance standards for sustainable finance, catalyzing a race to the top among global investors and shifting priorities in financing institutions.Ceres president Mindy Lubber leads a group of 100 institutional investors managing nearly US$10 trillion in assets focused on the business risks and opportunities of climate change. Through Ceres, she has changed the thinking around climate change by alerting corporate leaders about the risks to finance and business from climate change.A venture capital investor, Nancy Pfund, one of Fortune's Top 25 Eco-Innovators, is leading the impact investment movement, having invested in sustainable energy companies such as SolarCity, BrightSource Energy, Primus Power, Powergenix and Tesla Motors. With others, she has demonstrated that earning money by investing in socially beneficial enterprises can be profitable.JUST WATCHEDParis Climate Conference: COP21 ExplainedReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHParis Climate Conference: COP21 Explained 02:09Social justiceAt the national policy level, women are also leading the way to the Paris COP. Laurence Tubiana brings academic and policy experience into her position as French special representative for COP 21 and ambassador for climate change. Working closely with governments and stakeholders, she has created an agenda that connects immediate day-to-day economic concerns such as growth, employment and quality of life with climate change and environmental protection. An effective agreement on climate change, she argues, must frame the issue in ways politicians will understand and relate to.In lower-income countries, female negotiators have stood up for justice in remarkable ways. Fatima Nana Mede, permanent secretary of the Nigerian environment ministry, discovered and exposed a corruption scheme that had siphoned over one billion Nigerian dollars (about US$5 million). Her bold and fearless leadership make her someone to watch in Paris and beyond.Most of the least developed, or poorest, countries have been empowered to negotiate by Achala Abeysinghe, the legal and technical adviser to the chair of the least developed countries in the UN. A Sri Lanka national employed by the policy group International Institute for Environment and Development, she has made it her mission to augment the capacity of national delegations to understand the issues, stand up, and defend their rights.She leads the European Capacity Building Initiative, which trains UNFCCC negotiators from vulnerable developing countries in legal matters, helps coordinate their negotiating positions, bolsters communication among them, and brings implementation evidence to the negotiations. Since 2005, the program has convened 76 events and engaged 1,626 negotiators, policymakers and policy implementers.At the intersection of climate and women's rights, a former Ugandan aeronautical engineer and current director of Oxfam International, Winnie Byanyima, cofounded the Global Gender and Climate Alliance. The Alliance integrates gender concerns into the climate change negotiation process, monitors progress and promotes financial mechanisms and training opportunities equal for men and women.JUST WATCHEDWinnie Byanyima: 'There are solutions' for income inequality"ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWinnie Byanyima: 'There are solutions' for income inequality" 04:29As co-chair of the World Economic Forum in 2015, Winnie Byanyima pushed for action on climate, for closing the wealth gap and eliminating tax loopholes, and even for creating a global tax organization. "We have international organizations for health, trade and football, even for coffee, but not tax. Why not?" she exclaimed in an interview with The Globe and Mail.Climate justice lies also at the core of the work of the Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice. The former president of Ireland created a center for thought leadership, education and advocacy for those vulnerable to climate change impacts. Mary Robinson works to strengthen women's leadership at the local level to facilitate more gender-responsive action at all levels and to secure gender balance in multilateral and intergovernmental climate processes. She has made the threat of climate change more tangible and easier to communicate by relating it to human stories and human rights. She has connected high-level women leaders with grassroots women leaders to "ensure that women are enabled to participate in the design and implementation of climate actions."Arts and academiaAcademics working on climate change now include an increasing number of women who actively seek new ways to communicate and engage.Julia Slingo, chief scientist at the United Kingdom's weather service and the first woman president of the Royal Meteorological Society, has called for a radical overhaul of the way climate scientists relay their message. In order to compel the necessary action, scientists need to communicate in a "more humanist way," she argues, "through art, through music, through poetry, and storytelling." Katharine Hayhoe, evangelical Christian climate scientist, embraces the idea of engaging religion and science in understanding and resolving climate change.As scientists reach out to poetry and art for communicating their message to the public, poets and artists are reaching out to the United Nations.JUST WATCHEDKathy Jetnil-Kijiner gives an impassioned reading of 2 degreesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHKathy Jetnil-Kijiner gives an impassioned reading of 2 degrees 03:10Poet and activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner of the Marshall Islands brought governments in the UN General Assembly hall to their feet with a powerful poem and plea for action. "We deserve to more than just survive; we deserve to thrive," she exclaimed at the 2014 Climate Summit at the United Nations. She cofounded Jo-Jikum, meaning "your home," a nonprofit organization to educate youth on environmental issues and to foster a sense of responsibility and love for the islands.Activist women in small island states and in the Arctic have brought to life the human face of the impacts of climate change on their communities. In Papua New Guinea, Ursula Rakova, executive director of Tulele Peisa, an NGO whose name means "sailing the waves on our own," is drawing up an ecologically and culturally sustainable voluntary relocation and resettlement program for the Tulun/Carteret Atoll community threatened by climate change.Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a Canadian Inuit activist and author of The Right to Be Cold, filed a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2005 on behalf of Inuit communities in Canada and Alaska claiming that US failure to curb greenhouse gas emissions results in an incursion on their cultural and environmental human rights. The commission held a public hearing in 2007, and while the petition was ultimately dismissed, it's been called an "example of creative lawyering in both substance and form" and paved the way for subsequent legal action in The Netherlands, New Zealand and elsewhere.Young women in the fashion industry in New York are also embracing the climate message and working to use their widespread popularity to bring public attention to climate change.Model and activist Cameron Russell spearheaded People's Pilgrimage, a march across the Brooklyn Bridge in October 2015 to raise awareness about climate change. The 17 models walking across the bridge have six million social media followers, and Cameron believes they can launch a new conversation urging the fashion industry to reduce its massive environmental impact -- textile manufacturing pollutes 200 tons of water for every ton of fabric produced -- and to use its compelling media presence to raise awareness about climate change.The work of these women, and the work of countless other women who struggle with and adapt to the effects of climate in their day-to-day lives, should be celebrated. Importantly, governments, businesses and civil society organizations should work to include greater representation from women in climate negotiations and climate actions."There is no greater power than the power of choice," Christiana Figueres advised the graduating class at the University of Massachusetts Boston in her commencement speech in 2013. In December 2015, in Paris, may we all make the right choice.JUST WATCHEDCountdown to crucial climate conferenceReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCountdown to crucial climate conference 03:55University of Massachusetts Boston doctoral candidates Gabriela Bueno, J Michael Denney and Natalia Escobar-Pemberthy contributed to the research and writing of this article.Republished under a Creative Commons license from The Conversation.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-12-06 23:03:29

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/12/06/opinions/sutter-cop21-draft-text-two-degrees/index.html

Climate change: 48-page document could save the planet - CNN

At the U.N. climate talks -- called COP21 -- John Sutter says everyone's attention is focused on a garbled document that could determine the fate of the planet.

opinions, Climate change: 48-page document could save the planet - CNN

This 48-page document could determine the fate of the planet

CNN Opinion columnist John D. Sutter is reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future. You can subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He's jdsutter on Snapchat. You can shape this coverage.Le Bourget, France (CNN)At the U.N. climate talks -- called COP21 -- everyone's attention is focused on a 48-page document that could determine the very fate of the planet. Its name? FCCC/ADP/2015/L.6/Rev.1. Say that three times fast. That's a (bad) joke, of course, but high-ranking officials here actually are struggling to say the always-changing name of this all-important text aloud. Read MoreMost seem to be interpreting "/" mark as "stroke." "FCCC-stroke-ADP-stroke-2015-stroke-L6-stroke-Rev1-stroke-Ad1," Daniel Reifsnyder, who had been helping to oversee the negotiation process here, said in front of a room of hundreds Saturday, his image broadcast onto four local screens and his words translated live into several languages. "Oof," he added.A little comic relief. There's a somewhat farcical quality to this important U.N. process, which I do believe is essential if we're going to slow our pollution and avoid the worst effects of climate change, including super-droughts, extinctions and dangerous sea-level rise. What happens here in a Paris suburb matters to literally everyone on Earth. On the table now is whether countries want to limit warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which could determine the fate of low-lying Pacific nations such as the Marshall Islands. Success here could help commit 195 countries to ratcheting down their use of fossil fuels -- sending clear signals to markets and politicians that the era of oil and coal is drawing to a close. Failure would help royally screw up the planet for us and future generations.The actual negotiations -- and the garbled documentation at their core -- are about as accessible to the public as the pop star Sia's face or Hillary Clinton's inner monologue. That is to say: completely off-limits -- in this case, hidden behind so much jargon and so many acronyms and punctuational oddities that it's nearly impossible to penetrate. I started to wonder about what's actually in this document -- and how the text will be negotiated before Friday evening, which is the self-imposed deadline for the COP21 process.So I found a few experts to help me make sense of it. Turns out, this is a document four years in the making. And it still could use quite a lot of editing before Friday. Take, for example, this not-inconsequential excerpt: "Each Party shall regularly prepare, communicate [and maintain] [successive] ### and [shall][should][other] [take appropriate domestic measures] [have in place][identify and] [pursue] [implement] [[domestic laws], [nationally determined] policies or other measures] [designed to] [implement][achieve][carry out][that support the implementation of] its ###]."Underlying that mess is the idea that all countries in the world should put forward commitments to pollute less and therefore contribute less to global climate change. In U.N. parlance, those commitments have been called INDCs, for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. The trouble? Not everyone agrees whether the word "intended" should be included in that acronym, or whether the "contributions" should instead be called "commitments," making them somewhat stronger, said Jennifer Morgan, global director of the climate program at the World Resources Institute. So instead of settling that, the agreed-upon draft text instead says "###."Morgan told me she's heard negotiators reading that as, "hashtag, hashtag, hashtag.""I was like, 'What are they talking about!?' " she said. And she's been at this for years. Verb choices like [should] [shall] [will] also matter a great deal to negotiators, since they indicate varying levels of commitment, said Cassie Flynn, climate change adviser for the U.N. Development Program. "It's like red pill, blue pill from 'The Matrix,' " she said.Each leads to a different world, and countries are prepared to fight over those choices.And then there's the brackets.[As in these sorts of brackets.]They indicate text that is still being haggled over or could be removed. In Article 2, for example, the draft says the goal of the agreement will be "to hold the increase in the global average temperature [below 1.5 °C] [or] [well below 2 °C] above preindustrial levels ..." Maybe that doesn't sound like a big difference, but low-lying countries in the Pacific, like the Marshall Islands, which I visited earlier this year as part of CNN's Two° series, argue they won't exist if global temperatures are allowed to warm 2 degrees Celsius. At that level of warming, it's likely oceans will rise to the point that much if not all of their land will be uninhabitable. "That's how you can track progress in the negotiations -- is where the brackets are," said Morgan, from the World Resources Institute.Perhaps, then, it's not a great sign that the entire document currently is in brackets. The climate summit turned a corner Saturday when the draft text was released. The fact that it was on time, said Flynn and Morgan, is a great vote of confidence in the process. But look at the 48-page document, and it's clear there's much work to be done. Countries still are fighting over whether to try to limit warming to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius, which has been the international benchmark; they're debating finance for countries that aren't causing climate change but need to adapt to its consequences; they're considering a sort of reparations system -- called "loss and damage" -- for countries that might disappear if seas keep rising; and they're trying to decide how frequently these pollution-reduction commitments [and/or contributions] should be reviewed and strengthened. It's clear to everyone the Paris agreement won't be enough, on its own, to avoid dangerous warming. But it certainly could help put the world on track to stop warming short of 2 degrees, or perhaps 1.5. But where and how does all of that take place? Well, like over-dressed, sleep-deprived grammar teachers, negotiators and government ministers here in Paris for COP21 meet in conference rooms large and small to talk about all of these word and punctuation choices. I'm told the text sometimes is projected on large screens and edited live. Other times, as in a session I watched Saturday night, hundreds of people fill a large room to weigh in on the overall process, raising small laminated pieces of paper to talk.The nerdiness of this process belies the very palpable emotion at these talks, though. Quick example: At the COP15 talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Venezuelan delegate, Claudia Salerno, reportedly cut her hand with her paper-plastic name card, by accident, drawing blood."This hand, which is bleeding now, wants to speak," she said, according to news reports.So, yeah. Tensions are high. I haven't heard of any open wounds this year at COP21. But those involved in the process are "spending sleepless nights only to change one word," said Petrus Muteyauli, the exhausted, suit-wearing chief negotiator from Namibia, in southwest Africa. It's easy to feel "like grass that suffers while elephants are fighting," he said of being a relatively small country at talks dominated by countries such as China, the United States and those of the European Union. This is a very high-stakes version of "track changes" in a Word doc."The seed of the success of the Paris conference is in your hands and at the end of this historic day," Ahmed Djoghlaf, who was co-chairing the document preparation process, said at the meeting Saturday to discuss how to move forward in editing the draft text. Djoghlaf represents Algeria, and he cited an African proverb in front of the countries in attendance. "If you want to go swiftly, go alone," he said. "If you want to go far, go together."It's clear delegates here are going slowly. (They're not sure what they would call the agreement if it were signed). But hopefully the wait on this four-year edit will be worth it. Maybe this finally will be the climate agreement that also goes far. Sign up for the Two° newsletterJohn Sutter on TwitterRead more in the Two° series

Brandon Miller, CNN Meteorologist

2015-11-19 06:05:22

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/11/19/us/october-temperatures-two-degrees/index.html

Report: Global temperature rise already halfway to 'two degree warming' limit - CNN

Looks like Earth is already halfway to the danger zone.

Global temperature, two degree warning, climate change, global warming, October temperatures, El Nino, us, Report: Global temperature rise already halfway to 'two degree warming' limit - CNN

Report: Global temperature hike already halfway to 'two degree warming' limit

Story highlightsAverage global temperature rise listed at 0.98 CelsiusThat's halfway to the two degree average warming limitWhen the limit is breached, the planet will suffer grave consequences, says CNN's John Sutter (CNN)Looks like Earth is already halfway to the danger zone.Less than two weeks before a crucial global climate summit in Paris kicks off, NOAA, NASA and other global temperature monitors released data showing that the planet is halfway to two degrees of warming, the much publicized limit of "controllable" climate change. Global data from NOAA released Thursday shows that the average temperature across the entire planet for the month of October was a record shattering 0.98 degrees Celsius (1.76 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than average for the month of October -- making it the highest average temperature reached compared to normal in Earth's historical record. The list of superlatives for the month is staggering:-- the warmest October ever observed (in 136 years of NOAA records),Read More-- the warmest month ever compared to average (out of 1,630 months),-- the sixth consecutive month breaking a global temperature record, and-- seven of the 10 warmest months have occurred in 2015.The NOAA data is backed up by similar data sets maintained by NASA and the Japan Meteorological Agency, which also ranked October as the hottest month on record compared to average. All of this virtually guarantees that 2015 will rank as the warmest year overall, breaking the record that was set just last year.Help from El NinoThe temperatures got a boost this year from what may end up being the strongest El Nino ever recorded reaching its peak. El Nino, which is characterized by warming of ocean waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean, is helping to drive global temperatures upward this year. With all of the extra heat coming from the oceans during an El Nino, years that feature the phenomenon tend to be the warmest years, whereas years that feature a La Nina -- which contain cooler than normal waters in the Pacific -- tend to be the coolest years. And while this year's El Nino is already one of the three-strongest El Nino events ever have seen, it cannot fully account for all of the warming. After all, 13 of the 15 warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000, and this is the first year to feature a strong El Nino since 1998. In fact, recent La Nina years, such as 2010 and 2007, were warmer than El Nino's that occurred several decades earlier. So while El Nino and La Nina can move the needle a little up and down, the overall trend continues to climb higher and higher thanks largely to man-made climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. But when you add in a super-charged El Nino on top of a planet being continually warmed by greenhouse gas emissions, you wind up with years that are literally off the charts.Do ice ages debunk climate science?Beyond two degreesSo what happens if the planet breaches the two degrees of warming threshold? Nothing good, according to reports reviewed by CNN's John Sutter, who has written extensively on the subject.Sutter -- who pulled reports from the National Research Council, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the World Bank -- says wildfires in the United States could significantly increase in size, hurricanes would be slightly more intense, more species would be at risk for extinction, Arctic ice would continue to melt, crop yields would decrease and the availability of freshwater would significantly decline.Does climate change contribute to violence and war?

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-05-21 12:45:40

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/21/opinions/sutter-6-degrees-climate/index.html

On 6 degrees of climate change (Opinion) - CNN

Climate change is all about degrees. And we sure don't want to accumulate six of them, writes CNN's John Sutter.

opinions, On 6 degrees of climate change (Opinion) - CNN

On 6 degrees of climate change

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)Climate change is all about degrees.Six degrees Celsius of warming may not sound like much -- probably because "temperatures can swing by 6 degrees within an hour if a warm front passes, and it doesn't mean the end of the world," said Mark Lynas, author of a book called "Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet."But if we raise global average surface temperatures by just 6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, Lynas told me, we'll create "a scenario which is so extreme it's almost unimaginable.""Most of the planetary surface would be functionally uninhabitable," he said. "Agriculture would cease to exist everywhere, apart for the polar and sub-polar regions, and perhaps the mid-latitudes for extremely heat-tolerant crops. It's difficult to see how crops could be grown elsewhere. There's a certain level above which plants just can't survive.JUST WATCHED2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate change 01:16"There's a certain level where humans biologically can't survive outside as well ... The oceans would probably stratify, so the oceans would become oxygen-deficient, which would cause a mass extinction and a die off in the oceans, as well -- which would then release gases and affect land. So it's pretty much equivalent of a meteorite striking the planet, in terms of the overall impacts."Read MoreI chatted with Lynas, a science writer in the UK, about how to avoid a 6-degree world, the international goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees -- and how to talk to kids about climate change. The following is an edited transcript of our conversation.Mark LynasFor background: This interview came about because of you. Lynas's book was one of 12 chosen by readers for a book club as part of my "2 degrees" series on climate change. To follow along, and shape the coverage, sign up for the 2 degrees newsletter. Lynas has agreed to take your questions the week of June 8.Sutter: I've gotten a lot of questions from readers about what 2 degrees of warming means. What does it mean for sea levels? What does it mean for hurricanes? Extinctions? Those sorts of things. Could I run through a couple of those and get your take on it, as someone who's read through just mountains of this research?Lynas: Sure, sure. I'll do my best. Sutter: OK. Could we start with extinctions? What will we see around the 2-degree mark?In the marine environment, I think the most threatened ecosystems are coral reefs. (They're) threatened both by coral bleaching, due to rising temperatures and ocean acidification, plus the general degradation of everyday, general human activity. It's very tough to imagine that the world's coral reefs will continue to exist in their present day form in a 2-degree warmer world. The other most-threatened environments probably are the mountain ecosystems -- where species will be left marooned in shrinking islands of habitat. As temperature rises, you can imagine biomes rising up the sides of the mountains, and species which are dependent on a certain level of temperature and humidity will get left with nowhere to go.Sutter: What about hurricanes and severe weather?There's really a lot of uncertainty about this. It's possible to imagine hurricanes will become less frequent but more intense, and possibly (form) over new areas. Sutter: What about droughts? I get a lot of California questions.Lynas: The overall global picture is kind of, 'unto them that have with be given more and unto them have not shall be taken away' -- if you want to get biblical. That maps out as the subtropics, which are already the drier parts of the globe, will become more water-deficient. The deep tropics will actually get more rainfall, as well as some of the mid-latitudes. But the subtropics -- which is the southwest of the U.S. -- would expect to see less rainfall, which indeed seems to be what's happening. That does call into question, really, the development model that large areas of the southwestern U.S. have adopted -- expecting a large amount of freshwater to be available to urban areas and agriculture, which are already in a pretty arid location. So I do think it's going to be hard to adapt to that change. Sutter: I've also gotten questions about the low-lying Pacific Island nations. At 2 degrees, what is their fate? Lynas: I used to be adviser to president of the Maldives, who is, by the way, now in jail due to there having been a coup. But his challenge, and his main agenda, when he was president, was to bring to attention the fate of the small island states -- especially those that are coral atolls. For the Maldives, the entire country exists at a meter or less above sea level, and little more. It's difficult to imagine the survival of coral atoll nations at 2 degrees, it has to be said. Although the extinction process depends on the rate of sea level rise. It might take decades, it might take centuries, it's not clear at the moment. But I don't think they have a very long term future.Sutter: Moving up the degree ladder, you describe a 6-degree world as a "sixth circle of hell." What do you mean by that -- and can you describe some of what we know about that world? Lynas: It's a scenario which is so extreme it's almost unimaginable. Not many studies have addressed this because it's so far off the scale of what can be envisaged. I found myself looking back at the really serious traumatic events in the Earth's geological history, which have led to mass extinctions, such as the one at the end of the Permian period, 250 million years ago, which wiped out nearly 90% of life on Earth. Actually, a lot of the mass extinctions seem to have been associated with very rapid global warming events. Humans are releasing carbon more rapidly even than took place during mass extinctions. We haven't gotten there in terms of the overall amount, but we're certainly moving in that direction. So it's not a planet that I think any of us would want to live in, and it doesn't have to happen. While I think it's important to try to visualize what a 6-degree world would look like, it's also important to remember that we don't have to go there.Sutter: What else do we know about a 6-degree world? Lynas: Most of the planetary surface would be functionally uninhabitable. Agriculture would cease to exist everywhere, apart for the polar and subpolar regions, and perhaps the mid-latitudes for extremely heat-tolerant crops. It's difficult to see how crops could be grown elsewhere. There's a certain level above which plants just can't survive. There's a certain level where humans biologically can't survive outside, as well. We get close enough already in the Arabian Peninsula and some other parts of the world. Remember, 6 degrees is a global average. It would be probably twice that over land and somewhat less than that over the oceans. The oceans would probably stratify, so the oceans would become oxygen deficient, which would cause a mass extinction and a die off in the oceans, as well -- which would then release gases and affect land. So it's pretty much equivalent of a meteorite striking the planet, in terms of the overall impacts.Sutter: I'm wondering why you took this approach -- looking at climate change by degrees?Lynas: A lot of people want to know what warming we get with what emissions path, or what warming we might get by what date. That's pretty fundamentally uncertain because they depend on different factors which aren't very well quantified. I felt that looking at it degree by degree was much more robust. If the temperature rises by X amount then what will be Y impacts? There are three major sources of information about that. One is the observational changes we're already seeing in terms of impacts in temperature rise. The second is computer models showing different ecosystem changes or whatever. And the third is paleoclimate sources -- so looking at how the climate was different in earlier hotter periods in geologic time. So piecing those together and mapping them onto a degree by degree picture seemed to me to be a way to try to convey this in a visual and intuitive -- but also highly scientifically appropriate -- way.Sutter: What do you think about the world's focus on the 2-degree mark? One activist said to me that 2 degrees is the only thing the international community agrees upon for climate change. Lynas: I think it's important to have a target -- because it focuses policy and it focuses people's efforts. And it makes sense also to have a target based on the temperature. But it's not something we can meet, by definition. We don't have a simple thermostat where we can decide exactly how much carbon to emit and have an exact temperature result dependent on that. So, there's uncertainty, really, about what level of emissions will lead to what temperature outcomes, by when. However, I think that 2 degrees is really the absolute upper limit of what's tolerable in terms of ecosystems and, probably, adaptive capacities of human societies. A 2-degree world is a world without coral reefs, and with much less snow and ice and with fairly dramatic heatwaves -- and other impacts. So, I would like to see a global warming future in which warming actually is lower than that, personally.Sutter: Do you think that's possible?Lynas: I think it's possible. It's not very likely. If our current understanding of climate sensitivity is broadly correct then we're probably going to come in between 2 and 3 degrees, somewhere, by the end of the century. I guess the good news is the absolutely calamitous 5 and 6 degree outcomes are particularly unlikely, too, although still possible. And certainly, the risk of them happening is higher than the risk of an airplane crashing when we get onto it.Sutter: Wait, so you're saying the risk of 5 or 6 degrees of warming -- a doomsday scenario -- is higher than an airplane crashing?Lynas: Well, the likelihood of an airplane crashing is, I don't know, one in 1 million -- or something on that order of magnitude. Whereas the likelihood of coming within 5 or 6 degrees of warming is probably more than 1 in 100. It's the sort of risk that one would not tolerate at a personal level. But, perhaps because we can diffuse responsibility, we feel that it's tolerable for our species to take that gamble with the whole planet. Maybe it's because we just think there's nothing we can do about it. And we have an in-built optimism bias, myself included, where we like to think that things will just turn out all right, because they often tend to. And meantime we'll go on with our lives as normal. It's a big ask, I guess, to make society as a whole forgo the main energy source we all enjoy, which is fossil fuels, in order to forestall uncertain impacts decades into the future.Sutter: One of the things that struck me from your book is that you were surprised people are depressed by climate change. Isn't this a pretty depressing subject?It doesn't really matter whether you find it depressing or not, it's the scientific reality. We have to deal with it. A thing like climate change is known as a 'wicked problem.' It's seen differently by different people, according to their psychological, political and cultural biases. You can frame it as just a technology challenge: Let's get off of fossil fuels and let's get onto renewables and nuclear -- easy. Or you can frame it as a moral challenge: We're trespassing on the rights of future generations and how dare we do that. Or you can see it as a political challenge -- that somehow these big fossil fuel corporations are transgressing democracy and forcing us to stay hooked on oil and coal and gas. Different people, according to their politics, will see climate change fundamentally in this way. It's not a simple problem to understand.Sutter: So how do you look at it? Do you ever find climate change overwhelming or depressing, personally? Well, I'm a pragmatist. I think it's a solvable problem. I don't think we need to abandon capitalism or change our entire political system in order to tackle this challenge. Other people do, and I disagree with them on that. And we have debates late into the night. But I think with next-generation nuclear technologies, and particularly with the way solar power is developing so rapidly, and how rapidly it's coming down in cost, and how quickly the technology is improving, there are zero-carbon options now becoming much more widely available, which will bring down our emissions much more rapidly than people think -- or than people thought just a few years ago. I don't think there's any point being pessimistic about that. Pessimistic people don't achieve anything. It's important to do what's possible -- and to do it quickly.Sutter: What do you make of the way the world's responding? Lynas: We are now inhabiting a human-dominated planet. We are in a new epoch known as the Anthropocene. The Holocene is now considered to be over. And I don't think there's really been another species that has had that effect on the planet before -- maybe the first bacteria that emitted oxygen, or photosynthesizing microorganisms. But we really are into terra incognita looking forward. That gives our species a serious level of responsibility for planetary management that people just don't really appreciate at any kind of fundamental physiological or political level. We are in charge. It's up to us. We actually do have an overall effect on the earth's temp. It's not up to Mother Nature anymore to run the show. Sutter: Do you have children? Lynas: Yeah. The reason I was distracted just a minute ago was my kids just came back from school. Sutter: Do you talk to them about this? What do you say?Lynas: I talk to them a bit. They know what I do. Younger generations have grown up with this specter. It's a bit like how those of us who are older grew up with the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation ... So they're not entirely in a different situation, I suppose, from previous generations. You could feel bad for future generations, but on the other hand I'm not sure their future is any worse than the future for somebody born in, say, 1900, who in all likelihood, in Europe, would have killed in one of the world wars. It's a manageable problem. We're beginning to get the grips of it. There are some positive signs already -- China and the U.S. agreeing to peak emissions, and things like that. So it's not a counsel of despair. And I think it's important to talk to kids at that level -- not to make them think that somehow they're fundamentally doomed. That isn't the case and doesn't have to be the case.Sutter: What needs to happen to ensure things do improve? What are the benchmarks you're looking to to say, 'OK, we're managing this problem. We're doing what's needed'?Lynas: Well, I'm a ecomodernist, which is a new label a lot of environmental thinkers are beginning to attach to themselves -- because it's a bit different from more traditional environmentalism, which thought we were somehow doomed or we were fundamentally a destructive species. We can turn this around -- this and other problems as well, if we have a more pragmatic approach to politics, economist -- and especially technology. We need to have a price on carbon, so that emitting carbon dioxide isn't cheaper than other energy sources. We need to invest heavily in research and development in zero-carbon sources, including next-generation nuclear renewable energies, especially solar. And we need to deploy them on an ever wider scale, with increased financing. We also need to have a political agreement -- so there's a sense the whole world is moving in the right direction. All of those things are not just possible, but I think they're fundamentally achievable, and likely. But we need to keep the pressure up on politicians and on everyone else. Email questions to: climate [at] cnn.com. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – Climate change is here and will only worsen. Get used to more flooding, wildfires and drought, depending on where you live. That's the take-home message of a White House report released in May that is part of President Barack Obama's second-term effort to prepare the nation for rising sea levels and increasingly erratic weather. Here, a flooded parking lot at the Laurel Park horse racing track is seen Thursday, May 1, in Laurel, Maryland. Click through to see more examples of severe weather:Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – More than 300 experts helped produce the report over several years, updating a previous assessment published in 2009. A Democratic operative who now counsels the President called the report "actionable science" for policymakers and the public to use in forging a way forward. In this image, cars are seen in the aftermath of an embankment collapse in Baltimore as a massive storm system pounded the mid-Atlantic on April 30.Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – The report breaks the country down by region and identifies specific threats should climate change continue. Major concerns cited by scientists involved in creating the report include rising sea levels along America's coasts, drought in the Southwest and prolonged fire seasons. In this image from January 16, a wildfire burns in the hills just north of the San Gabriel Valley community of Glendora, California.Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – The Great Plains could experience heavier droughts and heat waves with increasing frequency, while more wildfires in the West could threaten agriculture and residential communities, the report notes. In this image, dry and cracked earth is visible on what used to be the bottom of Folsom Lake on March 20, in El Dorado Hills, California. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – Republican critics immediately pounced on new report as a political tool for Obama to try to impose a regulatory agenda that would hurt the economy. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky mocked what he described as the hypocritical stance of "liberal elites" who demand strong action on climate change while failing to reduce their own carbon footprint. He called the debate "cynical" because Obama knew that "much of the pain of imposing such regulations would be borne by our own middle class." Here in March, an avocado grove near Valley Center, California, is left to wither because of the rising cost of water. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – Recent polling indicates most Americans believe human activities cause climate change but also shows the issue is less important to the public than the economy and other topics. A Gallup poll in March found that 34% of respondents think climate change, called global warming in the poll, posed a "serious threat" to their way of life, compared with 64% who responded "no." At the same time, more than 60% of respondents believed global warming was happening or would happen in their lifetime. Here, a pedestrian crosses Douglas Avenue on a bike during a snowstorm on February 4, in Wichita, Kansas. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Severe weather changesSevere weather: Flood, fire and drought – The report predicts sea levels will rise at least a foot by the end of the century and perhaps as much as 4 feet, depending on how much of the Greenland and Antarctic ice shelf melts. Such an outcome could be catastrophic for millions of people living along the ocean, submerging tropical islands and encroaching on coastal areas. In this image, dated October 29, 2012, streets are flooded under the Manhattan Bridge in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn, New York, as Superstorm Sandy slammed the Northeast coast.Hide Caption 7 of 7

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-05-19 11:33:17

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https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/sutter-2-degrees-book-club/index.html

Books: 12 must-reads on climate change (2 degrees) - CNN

CNN's John Sutter takes reader suggestions for the top non-fiction books on climate change. They include a Pulitzer winner and an illustrated comic.

opinions, Books: 12 must-reads on climate change (2 degrees) - CNN

12 must-reads on climate change -- as submitted by you

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)"Climate change is the canvas on which the history of the 21st century will be painted."That's Mark Lynas, writing in "Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet." It's a true if disturbing prediction. By some accounts, we've already entered the Anthropocene, an epoch defined by human degradation of the natural world. We're causing extinctions, changing the climate. Mother Nature is still powerful, sure. But, as Lynas explains, we humans are so fundamental a force that we are changing the way she works.I recently asked readers of my "2 degrees" newsletter (sign up here) to suggest "must-read" books on climate change -- and Lynas' important work of nonfiction was among your top recommendations. I've been reading it, and I recently interviewed the author. The book takes a degree-by-degree look at the future of our planet as it continues to warm. Two degrees of warming, which the international community is trying to avoid, and which is the focus of my climate change initiative at CNN, sounds bad. But, as Lynas told me, a world that's 6 degrees warmer than before the industrial revolution, which is possible if we keep burning alarming amounts of fossil fuels and chopping down forests, sounds downright hellish.Read MoreYou'll find Lynas' "Six Degrees" on a list of 12 climate change must-reads below. It includes a Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Kolbert's "The Sixth Extinction," as well as an illustrated account of an artist's dive into climate science, titled "Climate Changed." You readers suggested all these, and I've included some of your comments about them.Sign up for the "2 degrees" newsletter if you want to join our freewheeling book club. We'll tackle "Six Degrees" first, since it's a great primer. I'll post an interview with Lynas on Thursday, and then we'll read his book together over the course of the month. He's graciously agreed to take your questions in a few weeks. Think we missed something? Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below. 1. "Six Degrees," by Mark LynasChapter by chapter, Lynas explores what the world would look like if it warms 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3, degrees Celsius, etc. He's great at distilling the science and maintaining a sense of optimism amid some very gloomy predictions about the future. Suggested by Lance Olsen.2. "This Changes Everything," by Naomi Klein"Well researched, compelling arguments, hits home for multiple audiences, and is a realistic call to action." -- Laura S. Lynes, from Canmore, Alberta 3. "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight," by Thom Hartmann "It's all-encompassing -- it delves into the various feedback systems in a climate change context, and also the underlying cultural philosophy or stories we tell ourselves that continue to create the situation we're in. Fascinating stuff!" -- Trevor, from Los Angeles4. "The Age of Sustainable Development," by Jeffrey D. Sachs"Comprehensive and positive summary of the steps required for sustainable development with good overviews of the problems causing climate change." -- Dan Fowler, from Austin, Texas5. "Comfortably Unaware," by Richard A. Oppenlander"People don't realize the devastating impact that our food choices have on the planet. This book explains how animal agriculture is the single biggest cause of global warming." -- Wendy Horowitz, from New Haven, Connecticut6. "The Sixth Extinction," by Elizabeth Kolbert"An amazingly well written narrative on the effect our species has had on the planet. As our population continues to grow and our demand on our very limited resources escalates, the negative impact we have had and continue to have is well explained." -- Sharon Lynch, from Benicia, California7. "The End of the Long Summer," by Dianne Dumanoski"A really thoughtful, wise and balanced appraisal of fact that, going on past changes to the climate, we are likely to reach a sudden tipping point and experience huge climate changes over just a few years, BUT that humans are incredibly resilient and adaptable and rather than go extinct, will likely rise to the challenge."This book gave me hope while presenting the facts." -- Persephone Maywald, from Australia8. "Climate Wars," by Gwynne Dyer "Waves of climate refugees. Dozens of failed states. All-out war. From one of the world's great geopolitical analysts comes a terrifying glimpse of the strategic realities of the near future, when climate change drives the world's powers towards the cut-throat politics of survival," the publisher's description says.9. "Merchants of Doubt," by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. ConwayHere's an endorsement from John Horgan, of Scientific American: "The book, which packages rigorous research in fiery rhetoric, inspired a documentary, 'Merchants of Doubt' ... I highly recommend the book and documentary, which reveal how disturbingly easy it can be for unscrupulous spin-meisters to dupe journalists and the public." The book was suggested by Aaron Thierry, a reader from Edinburgh, Scotland10. "Don't Even Think About It," by George MarshallA Twitter user -- @timreckmeyer -- suggested this one as part of a discussion on whether we at CNN should be leading climate change stories with images of sad polar bears on ice sheets. (He thinks we shouldn't. You can see from the gallery below that we still are, from time to time.) George Marshall, the book's author, explores how our brains shape (and warp) perceptions about climate change. I'm hoping this book will help me understand how to better explain this subject -- and will settle the polar bear debate.11. "Climate Changed," by Philippe Squarzoni"It's an amazing book. It's an illustrated nonfiction book (graphic novel format) that is built on Squarzoni's interviews with IPCC scientists. The science is well explained, but the power comes from watching Squarzoni absorb the information and struggle to fit it into his life, just like a reader, over the six years it took him to put the book together. So the intangible social aspect of climate, which is probably more important to solutions than climate science itself, is explored with candor." -- Richard Reiss, from New York12. "The Great Transition," by Lester Brown"Right away, book club or no, this book must be read: 'The Great Transition,' by Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute," a reader, Elizabeth McCommon, wrote in an e-mail. A friend "put it in my hands this last weekend, saying it would help me regain optimism about the future," she said. Sounds like it worked.Email questions to: climate [at] cnn.com. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMelting polar ice caps – The consequences of climate change go far beyond warming temperatures, which scientists say are melting the polar ice caps and raising sea levels. Click through the gallery for a look at 10 other key effects of climate change, some of which may surprise you.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDrought – In the coming decades climate change will unleash megadroughts lasting 10 years or more, according to a new report by scholars at Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the U.S. Geological Survey. We're seeing hints of this already in many arid parts of the world and even in California, which has been rationing water amid record drought. In this 2012 photo, a man places his hand on parched soil in the Greater Upper Nile region of northeastern South Sudan.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldWildfires – There's not a direct link between climate change and wildfires, exactly. But many scientists believe the increase in wildfires in the Western United States is partly the result of tinder-dry forests parched by warming temperatures. This photo shows a wildfire as it approaches the shore of Bass Lake, California, in mid-September. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldCoral reefs – Scientists say the oceans' temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last century. It doesn't sound like much, but it's been enough to affect the fragile ecosystems of coral reefs, which have been bleaching and dying off in recent decades. This photo shows dead coral off the coast of St. Martin's Island in Bangladesh.Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldFood prices – A U.N. panel found in March that climate change -- mostly drought -- is already affecting the global agricultural supply and will likely drive up food prices. Here, in 2010, workers on combines harvest soybeans in northern Brazil. Global food experts have warned that climate change could double grain prices by 2050. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldPollen allergies – Are you sneezing more often these days? Climate change may be to blame for that, too. Recent studies show that rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels promote the growth of weedy plant species that produce allergenic pollen. The worst place in the United States for spring allergies in 2014, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America? Louisville, Kentucky. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldDeforestation – Climate change has not been kind to the world's forests. Invasive species such as the bark beetle, which thrive in warmer temperatures, have attacked trees across the North American west, from Mexico to the Yukon. University of Colorado researchers have found that some populations of mountain pine beetles now produce two generations per year, dramatically boosting the bugs' threat to lodgepole and ponderosa pines. In this 2009 photo, dead spruces of the Yukon's Alsek River valley attest to the devastation wrought by the beetles.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldMountain glaciers – The snows capping majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak, once inspired Ernest Hemingway. Now they're in danger of melting away altogether. Studies suggest that if the mountain's snowcap continues to evaporate at its current rate, it could be gone in 15 years. Here, a Kilimanjaro glacier is viewed from Uhuru Peak in December 2010.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldEndangered species – Polar bears may be the poster child for climate change's effect on animals. But scientists say climate change is wreaking havoc on many other species -- including birds and reptiles -- that are sensitive to fluctuations in temperatures. One, this golden toad of Costa Rica and other Central American countries, has already gone extinct.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldAnimal migration – It's not your imagination: Some animals -- mostly birds -- are migrating earlier and earlier every year because of warming global temperatures. Scholars from the University of East Anglia found that Icelandic black-tailed godwits have advanced their migration by two weeks over the past two decades. Researchers also have found that many species are migrating to higher elevations as temperatures climb.Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Effects of global warming around the worldExtreme weather – The planet could see as many as 20 more hurricanes and tropical storms each year by the end of the century because of climate change, according to a 2013 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This image shows Superstorm Sandy bearing down on the New Jersey coast in 2012.Hide Caption 11 of 11

John D. Sutter, CNN

2015-05-12 12:18:08

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/12/opinions/sutter-400-carbon-dioxide/index.html

Climate: We're burning through Earth's carbon budget - CNN

John Sutter says heed this number: 400 ppm. That's how much carbon dioxide is in the air for every million parts of something else. It's warming Earth.

opinions, Climate: We're burning through Earth's carbon budget - CNN

We're burning through the Earth's carbon budget

CNN columnist John D. Sutter is spending the rest of the year reporting on a tiny number -- 2 degrees -- that may have a huge effect on the future of the planet. He'd like your help. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can shape his coverage. (CNN)Here's a recent headline that sends chills down your spine if you're a climate-news junkie -- and makes just about zero sense if you're any other normal person: "A Global Milestone: CO2 Passes 400 PPM"Translation: There's now an even more ridiculous amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- 400 parts carbon dioxide (CO2) for every million parts of something else atmospheric. That's warming the planet. And it's our fault since we're burning fossil fuels and clearing forests.But that's definitely a mouthful. Mind-numblingly arcane numbers such as "400 ppm" will determine what life looks like in the future of our planet. How many people will be killed by heatwaves? How many species -- not just polar bears, but amphibians, proteas and pikas -- will go extinct? What percentage of the world's coral reefs will be lost? How many low-lying island nations will have to be abandoned as the seas swallow them up? Which regions will be newly exposed to malaria and other tropical diseases? Read MoreAll of these things will be heavily influenced, if not determined, by these goofy little numbers, including the amount of carbon dioxide that's measured in the atmosphere. Below, you'll find a brief backgrounder on three numbers, including one "ppm" measure, that are central to the climate change discussion. These numbers aren't widely famous -- at least yet. I hope that changes, because these odd numbers should be a rallying cry and a goalpost for ensuring that we act fast enough to blunt climate change. These numbers will determine what the world looks like for us and future generations. The least we can do is get to know them. 1. 2 degreesJUST WATCHED2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCH2 degrees Celsius: A critical number for climate change 01:16Any amount of global warming is somewhat dangerous, but 2 degrees Celsius of warming (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is when things start to get Earth-changingly bad. Water is expected to become much more scarce. A significant percentage of the world's plants and animals will be at risk for extinction. Coral reefs will be heavily bleached if not gone. Some island nations could be underwater, or saltwater intrusion from rising seas could make them uninhabitable.One climate change activist told me 2 degrees -- and not crossing it -- is pretty much the only thing the world agrees about when it comes to climate change. The number was first proposed by an economist in the 1970s, and it since has become the subject of near international consensus. World leaders will meet in Paris in December to try to hammer out an international agreement, essentially, on how to keep us below the 2-degree mark.The number is measured as the temperature increase since the Industrial Revolution began about 150 years ago. We've already helped warm the atmosphere by 0.85 degrees since then. If something doesn't change, we could hit 2 degrees of warming before 2050. 2. 450 ppmFriday @NOAA Research #Haiku: Another benchmark reached/ Global carbon dioxide/ Above 400 http://t.co/b7TxhqRda9 pic.twitter.com/qf4Ze4dRdj— NOAA Research (@NOAAResearch) May 8, 2015 There's more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere now than there has been in millions of years. That's why "400 ppm," the benchmark we crossed last week, made headlines around the world. But there's actually another number, 450 ppm, that is real cause for alarm among scientists and policy experts. That's because 450 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere likely would push the world past 2 degrees of warming. And, you'll recall, that's the danger zone. We don't want to be this close."Passing the 400 mark reminds me that we are on an inexorable march to 450 ppm and much higher levels," Michael Gunson, NASA's global change and energy program manager, said in a statement. "These were the targets for 'stabilization' suggested not too long ago. The world is quickening the rate of accumulation of CO2 and has shown no signs of slowing this down. It should be a psychological tripwire for everyone."Before the Industrial Revolution, when humans started burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and to power cars, trains and other forms of motorized transportation, the atmosphere contained about 280 ppm of CO2. More CO2, of course, means warmer temperatures. 3. 1,000 gigatonnes Finally, there's one more number you need to know in order to understand how urgent climate change actually is: 1,000 gigatonnes. That's how much carbon we can pump into the atmosphere -- in total -- and still hope to stop short of 2 degrees of warming, according to the world's leading climate science group.The trouble? We've already burned through more than half of that budget. "If the planet's carbon budget ... was a giant cake," wrote John Upton, from Climate Central, "then we'd all be running out of dessert -- fast."Since the late 1800s, the world has emitted 515 gigatonnes of carbon, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. That leaves only 485 gigatonnes until we cross the danger line. Maybe that sounds like a lot -- I mean, it is -- but consider that we're careening toward the end of our budget at such a rapid pace that, unless things change, we could blow past our carbon allowance by 2045. Even it we stop at 1,000 gigatonnes of carbon -- which, according to WolframAlpha, is roughly equal to about half the carbon in all the world's land plants -- we're not guaranteed to halt warming at 2 degrees. The IPCC says that budget gives us a 66% chance of staying below the 2 degree mark. So it's clear that the world needs to act immediately to cut carbon emissions. We're already uncomfortably close to the danger zone.Email questions to: climate [at] cnn.com. Subscribe to the "2 degrees" newsletter. Follow the project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Gabriel Kinder, CNN

2022-03-18 00:38:04

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/17/world/ukraine-water-filters-refugees-cnnheroes/index.html

A growing number of Ukrainians can't access clean water. A CNN Hero is sending thousands of water filters - CNN

As Russian attacks make drinking water in Ukraine harder to find, CNN Hero Doc Hendley and Wine to Water are sending enough filters to purify 2.4 million gallons per day.

world, A growing number of Ukrainians can't access clean water. A CNN Hero is sending thousands of water filters - CNN

A growing number of Ukrainians can't access clean water. A CNN Hero is sending thousands of water filters

(CNN)Survivors of Russia's siege on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol are reporting that some residents are being forced to collect rain and melt snow for drinking water. For Doc Hendley, the water crisis in Ukraine is only getting more urgent."Bottled water and sometimes even tap water in these communities is a luxury that most people do not have access to right now," said Hendley, a 2009 CNN Hero.His non-profit Wine to Water is sending 12,000 water filters to Ukraine and border areas in Poland and Romania where refugees are fleeing. Hendley says these filters are capable of purifying 2.4 million gallons of water per day, and they could last 10 years. This is Wine to Water's largest filter shipment in its 18-year history.With thirst and desperation growing, Hendley fears the situation could quickly spiral out of control."People are just scrounging, trying to find something to drink. And they end up trying to take water from an unsafe source. It's going to give them diarrhea and dehydrate them even faster," he said.Read MoreThe filters Wine to Water is providing can clean water beyond US EPA standards, Hendley says, but their size makes them ideal for this crisis. "If you're thinking about somebody fleeing from a disaster or a war ... the last thing you want to do is [weigh] them down with bulky materials, and these can fit in somebody's pocket," he said.Wine to Water has responded to crises worldwide. And in countries including Tanzania and Haiti they have built sustainable filter factories in local communities. To respond to the war in Ukraine, Wine to Water got help from the Grand Circle Foundation, which supports charitable projects around the world, to make such a large shipment possible and help meet this basic need for people's survival."My hope is we're going to be able to get as many people that are struggling to find clean water access to clean water ASAP," Hendley said.

Gabriel Kinder, CNN

2022-03-11 00:30:50

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/10/world/ukraine-refugees-poland-housing-cnnheroes/index.html

They fled their house in Ukraine, but a CNN Hero helped make Poland their new home - CNN

2007 CNN Hero Aaron Jackson is at the border in Poland helping refugees from Ukraine start new lives after fleeing the war.

world, They fled their house in Ukraine, but a CNN Hero helped make Poland their new home - CNN

They fled their house in Ukraine, but a CNN Hero helped make Poland their new home

(CNN)Within 24 hours of reading a news story about Ukrainian refugees sleeping in a train station, Aaron Jackson left his Florida home for an area near the border between Poland and Ukraine."There I saw the true cost of war," Jackson wrote on Facebook of his visit to Poland. "Families fleeing their homes. Families separating from their loved ones. Families fleeing from the lives they knew."Right away, he got to work helping refugees secure emergency housing.Jackson is a 2007 CNN Hero and the founder of Planting Peace, a humanitarian and environmental non-profit whose initiatives include a network of orphanages, deworming campaigns, rainforest conservation, and LGBTQ rights advocacy. Through Planting Peace, Jackson says he has also assisted refugees around the world, including some from El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, and Myanmar (Burma).In this refugee crisis, Jackson says the cold weather is a serious concern. Read More"It is just absolutely freezing outside. So, getting people into housing is absolutely vital."While walking through a packed refugee center near the Krakovets border crossing, Jackson spotted a little girl playing with a toy. Speaking through a translator, he learned her parents were originally from Congo and had lived in Ukraine for the last 12 years. The father, Donatien Tshikele Mubabinge, said that when Russian bombs fell too close to their home, he, his wife, Ngalula, and their 2-year-old daughter, Tushike, left everything behind, including their savings. They tried taking a taxi to the border, but when traffic got too backed up, he says they had to walk nearly 40 miles (about 60 km), much of it with Tushike on his back.After learning of their ordeal, Jackson booked a hotel room for the family and began searching for more permanent housing. "It's horrible why they're leaving, but it's inspiring at the same time -- to see the human will and the human spirit and what they're willing to do to save their own lives and the life of their child," Jackson said.JUST WATCHEDSee stadium converted into refugee center to house UkrainiansReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee stadium converted into refugee center to house Ukrainians 01:31Mubabinge says he had to flee violence in Ukraine before. He moved to the country in 2010 and lived in Luhansk, a southeastern city located in the disputed Donbas region that was annexed by Russia in 2014. When pro-Russian separatists moved in, Mubabinge left for the larger city of Odessa and lived there until the current fighting forced his family to flee.After several days of searching, Jackson found an apartment in Krakow, Poland. Using donations to his organization, he secured the flat for a year and provided the Mubabinges with funds for food and necessities."I just know that this will let them relax a little bit. To give them the ability to start looking for work. You know, just to get their bearings," Jackson said. When the couple entered their new home, their daughter was all smiles as she jumped on the bed. Her father was grateful to Jackson and Planting Peace, and he hopes others will open their hearts to fellow refugees who need housing.Jackson is continuing his efforts to help refugees in Poland. He was happy he could help this family through such a difficult time."It's good to have wins, you know? In a situation like this, this was definitely a win."

Kathleen Toner, CNN

2022-03-04 02:05:22

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/03/world/ukraine-holocaust-survivors-cnnheroes/index.html

With war raging, this CNN Hero is racing to aid Ukraine's Holocaust survivors - CNN

For hundreds of Holocaust survivors living in Ukraine, Russia's invasion evokes painful memories as they find themselves once again at risk.

world, With war raging, this CNN Hero is racing to aid Ukraine's Holocaust survivors - CNN

With war raging, this CNN Hero is racing to aid Ukraine's Holocaust survivors

Los Angeles (CNN)Russia's invasion of Ukraine has evoked echoes of World War II. And for Ukrainian Holocaust survivors, the crisis is especially alarming. These elderly Jewish citizens, most in their 80s or 90s, endured profound struggles during the 1940s at the hands of the Nazis. Now, they find themselves, once again, at risk."This is terrible for the Ukrainian people and absolutely horrendous for the Holocaust survivors," said Zane Buzby, whose non-profit Survivor Mitzvah Project has been helping this vulnerable population for almost 15 years. "A lot of these people are the last person in their family -- the only one who survived. ... These people went through this once already."Earlier this week in Kyiv, Russian missiles struck the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial, which commemorates the site where more than 33,000 Jews were shot to death in 1941. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, who is Jewish, tweeted that it was "History repeating..."As the granddaughter and daughter of Jews who escaped Kyiv, I cannot remain silent nowBuzby's mission is now taking on new urgency. Since 2008, she has been a lifeline for more than 2,500 survivors in nine eastern European countries, including Ukraine, providing them with humanitarian aid. It's work that earned her recognition as a CNN Hero in 2014.Read MoreBased in Los Angeles, her organization supports nearly 350 people in Ukraine. When Russian forces invaded, Buzby was shocked."It was just devastating because I know people in all these places that were on the news," she said. "They're texting that, 'We're hearing explosions,' 'We're moving down into the basement.'" Now, she's working with her translators and volunteers on the ground to check on the people she supports."They're spread out across this vast country. They don't have extended families," Buzby said. "We don't want food sources to run out. We're getting them as much medication as possible now because who knows in two weeks what's going to happen."The group also provides valuable companionship for these elderly survivors through letters, phone calls and visits. Buzby says this emotional support is even more vital now, during this daunting time.JUST WATCHEDJewish community in Ukraine reacts to Putin's Nazi rhetoricReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHJewish community in Ukraine reacts to Putin's Nazi rhetoric 05:14"This is so hard for them, this invasion. ... It makes it scarier because they know the real thing," she said. "The early memories come back and haunt them at night."The friendship offered by Buzby and her group means a great deal to those they help. One volunteer recently told Buzby about a phone conversation she'd had with a survivor who had taken refuge in a bomb shelter. The elderly woman had told the volunteer, "Your call is as if I found a diamond."Responses like that are the fuel that keep Buzby going. Coordinating logistics in a war zone thousands of miles away isn't easy, but she knows her efforts are needed."The important thing is to give them some comfort and care. Just like a family," she said. "We have to make sure that these survivors are not left alone during this devastating time. ... It's so important that they know they haven't been forgotten."Want to get involved? Check out the Survivor Mitzvah Project website and see how to help.CNN's Stephanie Becker contributed to this report.

Jeison Aristizábal, Special to CNN

2017-12-16 04:25:56

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/opinions/jeison-aristizabal-2016-hero-year-update-letter/index.html

2016 CNN Hero of the Year: Dreaming is worth it - CNN

We asked Jeison Aristizábal to share what's happened since he was recognized as the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year. Here is his open letter:

opinions, 2016 CNN Hero of the Year: Dreaming is worth it - CNN

2016 CNN Hero of the Year: Dreaming is worth it

Jeison Aristizábal is the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year. He is the founder of ASODISVALLE, a nonprofit organization based in Cali, Colombia, that provides a range of free services to young people with disabilities. The views in this article belong to the author. (CNN)We asked Jeison Aristizábal to share what's happened since he was recognized as the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year. Here is his open letter:I used to look at life with difficulty. Through every path I walked, I encountered barriers and discrimination. I was a boy with dreams and tireless perseverance, on a mission to find opportunities for disabled children and young people. I never wanted to spark pity, only love and solidarity toward disabled children like me.CNN Hero Jeison AristizábalI was passionate about helping the disabled community, but this was not easy to achieve: The system in my country, Colombia, does not promote public policy to provide opportunities and a better life for people like us. It hurt terribly to hear the stories of those families with disabled children; especially because, as a child, I lived through adversity in thousands of ways, due to a society (and a school) that excluded me for being different.Despite having cerebral palsy, I came up with different ways to conquer the world, to change the perception of disability and, before all else, to get society to realize that we should always give, regardless of how little we have.Read MoreAt all times, I carried my message of the value of solidarity, of recognizing that it's the most effective way through which we can understand that helping others is extraordinary.A dream come trueBeing nominated to be a 2016 CNN Hero was a wonderful dream come true for me. It moved my desire to help forward. I was filled with a roller coaster of emotion; it was days and months of new-found feelings. I would always keep the need to create opportunities for all these children with disabilities in mind; these children that, despite the challenges they face, always provide a hug, a smile or a look filled with hope. All of this motivated me to keep dreaming.JUST WATCHEDTop 10 CNN Hero Jeison AristizábalReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTop 10 CNN Hero Jeison Aristizábal 02:21How can I not trust Divine Providence when a great moment like this arrives? Being at last year's "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" was like a fantasy. In a room full of lights, color and inspirational messages and images, I was being recognized by thousands of people around the world like a hero without a cape. The mottoes "YES YOU CAN" and "DREAMING IS WORTH IT" swirled in my mind and my heart was filled with love and hope. I thought about all those who suffer, and who eagerly wait for a chance in life.People put their faith in me, and in the hope to turn the world into a place where values such as respect, love and tolerance will lead us to peace; a world where we are all equal and where social equity prevails. They believed in me and shared my dream of supporting others, and let me speak and fight for them.An engine for changeThere are so many life stories of people who have not been limited by adversity. These stories have been the engine in creating a generational change in moral values. Every place I have visited, I have encountered incredibly kind people; from students of prestigious colleges, to businessmen in big cities, and even in the most modest of places, where hope and faith create a lifestyle change where love, respect and solidarity become more valuable than material wealth.JUST WATCHEDCNN Heroes update: Jeison? Meet Jorge!ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN Heroes update: Jeison? Meet Jorge! 01:53Through the labor of our foundation, ASODISVALLE, every day we are surprised by the capacity people have to teach us the importance of unity. How can we not recognize its greatness? Through this recognition by CNN, people have been moved by my message and have been spurred to act. Today, because of the recognition as the 2016 CNN Hero of the Year, I have traveled the world with my motivational speech, "Three secrets to being happy." I am moved by the fact that families want their children to be like Jeison. Children meet me and say that they want to be like me, and even those who know my story through other platforms are motivated to follow the model of a "CNN HERO." It's so gratifying to be the motivation for so many human beings. My life story is an example for thousands of people; today it transforms lives on a personal, social and professional level. Being a CNN Hero, more so than something to brag about, is a responsibility and a commitment to social justice.Baking opportunityThis acknowledgment has opened doors and brought opportunities. Today people from all over the world show up and donate so that children and young adults with disabilities can be provided with opportunities. Everyone wants to help and be a part of this important social task. Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilities Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesTop 10 CNN Hero of 2016 Jeison Aristizábal's nonprofit ASODISVALLE operates a school and a facility that provides special education, medical services and nutritious meals for more than 1,000 young people with disabilities in Cali, Colombia. The school also welcomes students who are not disabled but want a quality education, such as the class pictured here.Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesAristizábal started the project 15 years ago out of his parents' garage.Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesHe knew families like his own needed help. "When I was a young boy, a doctor told my mom that I would amount to nothing," said Aristizábal, who grew up in one of the poorest areas in Cali.Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesAristizábal's family gave him support, and now he's working to complete law school, but others aren't so lucky. "Many families ... are misinformed. They think that it's God's punishment," he said. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesASODISVALLE (an acronym that translates to Association of Disabled People of the Valley) serves clients who live with a range of complex disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy.Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesASODISVALLE has helped transform the lives of more than 1,000 young people and their families --- free of charge.Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesAristizábal wants to redefine "disabled" for the public and for parents. "Sometimes families are the first ones to get in the way of their kid's progress. So we work with them and strive for them to be the main engine to move their kids forward," he said.Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesGaining some measure of independence is a big goal for many clients at ASODISVALLE. Training can involve physical and occupational therapy.Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesChildren attend classes at ASODISVALLE.Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilities"Every day there is someone waiting for our help," Aristizábal said. "I have made an effort for many people to be able to study, have a family, go for a walk, have fun, move forward, and most importantly, to dream."Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Creating pathways to opportunity with disabilitiesAristizábal visits Celeste, one of the students who attends classes at ASODISVALLE, in her house in the neighborhood Sardi.Hide Caption 11 of 11The ASODISVALLE foundation is a symbol of solidarity and perseverance on a global level. We educate, feed, and rehabilitate 650 children and young adults with disabilities, as well as supporting their families in various other ways. They have become an integral support system for this community and their quality of life has significantly improved.Through CNN's recognition, my responsibility has only grown. I want to ensure that my life lessons will motivate people to fight for their dreams, to learn to not complain despite the difficulties they may face, to fight for their goals until they achieve them.Lastly, it fills me with pride and happiness to announce that on October 21 we opened the first bakery that provides employment opportunities for mildly disabled young adults from ASODISVALLE, "HEROES' LITTLE BAKERS."Thank you CNN,Jeison AristizábalThis article was translated by Isabella Morelli of CNN en Español and was edited for length.

Allison Chinchar, CNN Meteorologist

2021-12-18 10:19:42

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/18/weather/weather-snow-squall-hazard-explainer/index.html

What are snow squalls and why they're more dangerous than blizzards - CNN

Driving in a snow storm is difficult. Add in blowing wind and poor visibility, and travel can become downright dangerous. And driving in a snow squall is next to impossible.

weather, What are snow squalls and why they're more dangerous than blizzards - CNN

What are snow squalls and why they're more dangerous than blizzards

(CNN)Driving in a snow storm is difficult. Add in blowing wind and poor visibility, and travel can become downright dangerous. And driving in a snow squall is next to impossible."There is no safe place on a highway during a snow squall," the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.A snow squall is an intense, but limited duration, period of moderate to heavy snowfall, accompanied by strong, gusty surface winds and possibly lightning. Snow accumulation may be significant. The phenomenon is not new, but the term and warnings associated with it only began in 2018.Snow squalls are different from a typical snow storm mainly because they are much shorter-lived, but also because they often have something called a flash freeze. Rapidly falling temperatures along with the freshly fallen snow can quickly glaze highways."The flash freeze is what separates snow squalls from a run-of-the-mill snow shower, which happens all the time," said John Banghoff, a meteorologist at the NWS in State College, PennsylvaniaRead More"The flash freeze component essentially makes travel and controlling a vehicle next to impossible," added Jonathan Guseman, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the NWS office in State College.Do you know what a snow squall is? Did you know we have a warning for that? #WinterWeatherAwarenessWeek #okwx #arwx pic.twitter.com/loPAQ7Sfyv— NWS Tulsa (@NWStulsa) December 1, 2021 Snow squalls versus blizzardsThere are two main types of snow squalls: frontal and lake effect.Frontal snow squalls occur ahead, along, or behind an arctic front. The front provides the moisture and wind variables needed, and a very intense squall line develops producing the narrow bands of heavy snowfall. Very similar to a line of severe storms with tornadoes or damaging winds that occur in warmer temperatures, snow squalls are narrow but very intense.A snow squall generally lasts less than 30 minutes at any given geographic point along its path, however, the entire line stretched out from its forward movement can cover large distances."A snow squall often occurs along an arctic front and the plummeting temperatures behind the snow squall turn wet pavement into a sheet of ice, making snow squalls much more dangerous than snow 'bursts'," Guseman noted. Lake effect snow squalls occur only near a large body of water. Lake effect snow occurs when cold air, often originating from Canada, moves across the warmer waters of the Great Lakes. The two types of events differ in duration. Lake effect snow squalls can extend long distances inland, and can persist for many hours. Snow accumulations can exceed 6 inches in a matter of hours.Today is the last day of Snow Squall Awareness Week. Snow squalls are one of the most dangerous winter weather phenomena. After this week, you know what they are, how to be safe, and where to get the necessary information to always stay weather aware!#SnowSquallSafetyPA #PAwx pic.twitter.com/wFL8fECxYy— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) November 19, 2021 Snow squalls, while they have similar characteristics, are not the same as blizzards.A blizzard is defined as a storm with "sustained or frequent winds of 35 mph or higher with considerable falling and/or blowing snow, frequently reducing visibility to 1/4 of a mile or less." The conditions must persist for a minimum of 3 hours.2 people injured in a 30-vehicle pileup in MontanaSnow squalls also have the requisite frequent wind gusts of 35 mph or greater and visibilities 1/4 mile or less, but are shorter in duration, must contain the flash freeze hazard, and require heavy snowfall. Snow squall warnings are focused on very distinct, localized areas (like tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings).There is 'no safe place' on a road during a snow squallThe greatest threat from snow squalls is travel. Visibility declines rapidly during snow squalls making travel almost impossible. Guseman and Banghoff emphasized planning ahead and knowing when snow squalls are possible are key to avoiding getting caught on the road.However, if you do get caught in one, Guseman and Banghoff have some tips• First, remain calm. Panicking will not help.• Try to safely exit the highway at the next available opportunity• Don't make any quick or sudden movements (gradually reduce your speed and increase following distance)• Make yourself as visible as you can by turning on your headlights and hazard lightsAs Snow Squall Awareness Week comes to an end, check out https://t.co/SZAvOhvtug for a recap of all the content you've seen this week. Snow squalls are very dangerous and we mean it when we say there is no safe place on a highway during a snow squall.#SnowSquallSafetyPA #PAwx pic.twitter.com/KAGXwLqHTi— NWS State College (@NWSStateCollege) November 19, 2021 Unfortunately, there is a long history of deadly traffic accidents associated with snow squalls, especially due to the quick reductions in visibility and flash freeze.This video shows exactly what can happen when visibility drops rapidly during a snow squall on the highway. Back in January 2015, whiteout conditions were blamed for shutting down Interstate 94 after nearly 200 vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction pileup.Guseman and Banghoff emphasized "there is no safe place on a highway during a snow squall," so it is best to avoid the situation at all by not getting in your vehicle and just staying where you are, at home, work, or school.

Jennifer Gray, CNN Meteorologist

2021-02-08 18:44:27

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https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/08/weather/how-to-survive-an-avalanche-wellness/index.html

How to survive an avalanche - CNN

Avalanches can occur any month of the year and in mountainous locations around the world. If caught in an avalanche, time is of the essence and knowing what to do if caught in one, could save your life.

weather, How to survive an avalanche - CNN

How to avoid avalanches and what to do if you're caught in one

(CNN)It has been a deadly week in the US from avalanches. Four skiers were killed and four more survived after being buried by an avalanche in Utah.Worldwide, an average of 150 people are killed each year in avalanches, with roughly 27 of those in the US. This past week alone, 14 people in the US have died from avalanches, bringing the total deaths to 21 this season. But avalanches can occur any month of the year and in mountainous locations around the world. If caught in an avalanche, time is of the essence and knowing what to do if caught in one, could save your life.Why and where do avalanches happen?An avalanche occurs when a layer of snow collapses and travels downhill rapidly. Even though avalanches can form anytime if the right conditions are present, there is typically a sharp increase in avalanche deaths during the months of January and February. Read More"Early season snowpack can be highly unstable because of the lack of consistent storms," said CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam. "Once the storm door is open to more frequent snow events in January and February, snow begins to pile up in layers on top of the unstable, early season snowfall." If you're going to ski, here's how to do it safely in the pandemic"This -- in combination with a higher rate of backcountry traffic from skiers and snowboarders -- can lead to a higher avalanche risk," said Van Dam.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the three factors needed for an avalanche are a slope, a snowpack and a trigger. Usually avalanches occur on a slope greater than 30 degrees. They also occur in areas that have had recent avalanches or cracks in the snow. Wind, rain, warming temperatures, snow and earthquakes can all trigger avalanches, but they can even be triggered by skiiers, snowmobiles and even the vibration of machinery. In fact, 90% of avalanche accidents occur because the slide was triggered by the victim or someone in the victim's group.How to avoid avalanchesMost of the time, an avalanche will occur after a heavy snowfall. Rapidly rising temperatures or extreme wind can also aid in an unstable snowpack which can result in an avalanche. Make sure you familiarize yourself with the terrain and check the avalanche forecast. Local forecast offices in mountainous areas have avalanche forecasts that are easily accessible. Avalanches occur much more frequently in backcountry ski areas, as opposed to groomed runs. There are also several warning signs to look for that could be evidence an avalanche is about to occur. Look for signs of previous avalanches, such as cracks from the snow forming around your skis or the ground feels hollow underneath. What to do if you're caught in oneHaving the proper equipment with you could help your chances of survival if caught in an avalanche. Make sure you ski with a beacon, so rescuers will be able to find you, and have a shovel and probe on hand so you are able to rescue someone else in your group. JUST WATCHEDWhat to do if caught in an avalancheReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat to do if caught in an avalanche 02:10"Avalanche survival rates plummet after about 15 minutes for victims who do not die from trauma," according to NOAA. Being prepared and knowing what to do if caught in an avalanche could save your life. Don't ski with your pole straps wrapped around your wrists. Poles can act as anchors in an avalanche and make it harder to stay on top of the snow. NOAA guidelines also recommend you never try to outrun an avalanche. Try getting to the side as quickly as possible, out of the path of the oncoming snow.If caught in the snow, try to "swim" with its flow and fight as hard as you can to stay on top.If buried, constantly push snow out of your face to create an air pocket for you to breathe while you await rescue. And activate the beacon.Finally, make sure you let someone know where you will be skiing in advance and touch base with them often.

Katie Glaeser

2016-01-22 19:58:15

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https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/22/weather/winter-storm-preparedness-checklist/index.html

Winter storm preparedness checklist - CNN

Be prepared for a winter storm: Here's what you should have on hand in case you get stuck at home, work or in your car during a snow or ice storm and how to take care of your pets.

winter, weather, blizzard, weather, Winter storm preparedness checklist - CNN

Winter storm preparedness checklist

(CNN)Are you prepared for a severe winter storm? Below are some suggestions about planning ahead at home, work and in your car as well as how to take care of your pets. If you get stuck at home or workWhat to have on-hand:Extra food and water: A three- to seven-day supply is a good standard Flashlight and extra batteriesBattery-powered radioExtra medicineFirst-aid suppliesThings to think about:Read MoreProperly ventilate heating sources to avoid carbon monoxide poisoningTo avoid freezing pipes, let your taps dripDon't drink alcohol in the cold, it dissipates body heatFind source for community weather warnings; check FEMA's Web directoryIf the power goes out:After four hours, some food in your fridge may not be safe to eat Check CDC guidelines, keep your fridge doors closed What to salvage when power returns? The USDA has some suggestionsLayer clothes to keep warmHow to survive in your carWhat to have on hand:Phone chargerBlanket or sleeping bagFlashlight with extra batteriesFirst-aid kitKnifeNon-perishable foodWaterExtra clothes and shoesPaper towelsFlares and/or brightly colored fabricSand or kitty litterShovelJumper cables Windshield scraperA compassA whistleWaterproof matches and a can to melt snowWhat else to think about:Fill your gas tank up ahead of timeIf you have to drive during a storm, let someone know your ETA and routeDress for the weather in case you get stranded Think you're at risk of frostbite or hypothermia? Check symptoms and find out what to do hereIf you get stranded:Stay in your vehicle Run the motor for 10 minutes an hour to warm upMake sure your exhaust pipe isn't blocked by snow or iceStay visible, so rescuers can find youYou can drink snow if you need to, but you should boil it firstFor more safety ideas, check out NOAA's guide hereDon't forget your petsMove your animals into shelter, preferably indoorsHave extra food and water, use plastic bowls -- not metal -- outside in freezing temperaturesYour furry friends can get frostbite and hypothermia, too: Protect their exposed skin If your furry friend gets salt on his/her paws, wipe them off with a damp towel Get more great tips from The Humane Society of the United States here

Amir Vera, CNN

2019-01-29 00:57:48

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/28/weather/wind-chill-explainer-wxc-trnd/index.html

Wind chill is a real threat. It can and will harm you. - CNN

CNN meteorologists explain the dangers of wind chill and other things you should know.

weather, Wind chill is a real threat. It can and will harm you. - CNN

Yes, wind chill is a real threat. It can and will harm you.

(CNN)Do you ever walk outside, having just checked the weather, and the wind punches you in the face?The exposed parts of your body may feel like they're freezing. This phenomenon is called wind chill.That's right, the weather term isn't a myth. Wind chill is real, so here's some facts to help you understand what it means and how to protect yourself:What is wind chill?Wind chill is essentially how cold people and animals feel when they're outside, according to the National Weather Service.Read MoreWind chill is based on how much heat is lost from exposed skin while it's windy and cold. The faster the wind, the more heat is drawn from the body, which lowers the skin temperature and, ultimately, the internal body temperature. Cold casualty: What to know about hypothermia"The critical thing is how long you can expose your skin before freezing," said Tom Sater, CNN meteorologist. "When the winds are stronger, it can whip the heat away from your body quicker."Wind chill only applies to people and animals, the NWS says. The only effect wind chill has on inanimate objects -- such as cars or water pipes -- is that it shortens the amount of time it takes for the object to cool. Why is it dangerous?Wind chill can lead to frostbite, hypothermia and, ultimately, death.Frostbite is caused by freezing of the skin and underlying tissues. It's most common on the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin, according to the Mayo Clinic. Severe cases can kill body tissue.Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it, the Mayo Clinic says. Left untreated, it can lead to the failure of the heart and respiratory system and, eventually, death.How is wind chill measured?The NWS says wind chill is for temperatures at or below 50 degrees and wind speeds above 3 mph. Wind chill "takes into account the wind and how cold it is," CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward says. So, the colder it is and the stronger the wind, the lower the wind chill. In 2001, the NWS launched a new wind chill temperature index that features a useful formula for calculating the dangers of winter winds and freezing temperatures.What's the difference between wind chill and wind speed?Wind speed is just how strong the wind is, Ward says. "Temperature and wind speed are the two components that go into the formula to figure out the wind chill, which is how cold it actually feels," he said.When are wind chill advisories or warnings issued?Wind chill advisory and warning criteria are issued locally, the National Weather Service says.For example, wind chill advisories in New York City start at -15 degrees and warnings at -25. A man walks through snow-covered Barney Allis Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. In Chicago, advisories start at -20 degrees and warnings at -30 degrees. And in Atlanta, advisories start at 5 degrees and warnings at -10. Ward says the criteria for a wind chill warning or advisory is a sliding scale and takes climatology into account. "People in the upper Midwest are most accustomed to the cold so the wind chill has to be lower than a place like the South to prompt a warning," he said. How can people fight against wind chill?Layers, layers and more layers. "Cover all exposed skin. Face masks help," Sater said. Marvin Hooks wears a face mask to protect him from the cold in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.There is a myth about hats flying around that people need to wear one because 80% of the body's heat escapes from the head. Sater says exposing the head to wind chill and cold temperatures is no different than exposing an arm or leg.

Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist

2022-02-07 19:53:25

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/07/weather/category-6-hurricane-wxn/index.html

Weather news: Preparing for Category 6 hurricanes - CNN

A first-of-its-kind facility is being built to test the catastrophic conditions of the world's strongest tropical cyclones.

weather, Weather news: Preparing for Category 6 hurricanes - CNN

Preparing for Category 6 hurricanes, a new facility will test winds of 200 mph and storm surge

A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, which releases every Monday. You can sign up here to receive these every week and during significant storms. (CNN)I lived and worked in Miami for four years before coming to Atlanta to join CNN. I've visited the Wall of Wind on the Florida International University (FIU) campus many times.It is a wall of enormous fans inside a big warehouse-type building that can blow air up to 160 mph, which would be a Category 5 hurricane, to test infrastructure and research the power of wind.The 12-fan Wall of Wind at Florida International University, one of the experimental facilities in National Science Foundation's Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, that better enables engineering against tornadoes, hurricanes and other windstorms.However, in our changing climate, sadly, 160 mph isn't strong enough. So, the National Science Foundation (NSF) just awarded a $12.8 million grant to FIU's Extreme Events Institute for the design of a full-scale testing facility capable of producing winds of 200 mph, along with a water basin to simulate storm surge and wave action in extreme winds. FIU will be able to build a house under the current building codes, start up the fans and see if it can withstand 200 mph winds. Will the roof detach? Will the house still be standing at all? The water basin will look like an enormous pool. It will also be able to simulate different coastlines. Storm surge tends to be worse when the coastlines are more shallow like along the Florida Panhandle. The facility will be able to simulate all of it. Read More"If you think about trying to future-proof, a changing hazard environment, a hazard scape, the US hazard scape with climate change, the past is not much of a guide. In fact, it can be deceiving," said Dr. Richard Olson, director of the Extreme Events Institute at FIU. "So, if we're going to future-proof, we need to be able to research and test what future hazard events will look like. You can't future-proof in a changing environment if you're looking backwards." Tropical cyclones are getting strongerIt's true. Climate change is showing us storms are getting stronger, moving slower and are holding more water than ever before. They are also rapidly intensifying, meaning the winds are increasing at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period. In 2021, five hurricanes in the Atlantic rapidly intensified. And in 2020, TEN Atlantic hurricanes rapidly intensified. Dorian was one of those storms. "Dorian in 2019 is the one that totally got my attention," said Olson. "It hit 185 mph over the Bahamas, and until the last day and a half, it was heading straight up Eighth Street in Miami." Dorian ended up causing mass destruction across Abaco and Grand Bahama. Photos: Hurricane DorianA body is carried out of the Mudd neighborhood in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on Monday, September 9.Hide Caption 1 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianHomes are in ruins one week after Dorian hit Marsh Harbour.Hide Caption 2 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA photo album is seen amid the debris in Marsh Harbour on Sunday, September 8.Hide Caption 3 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA damaged home in Hope Town, Bahamas.Hide Caption 4 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA toppled building crane is draped over a new construction project in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 9.Hide Caption 5 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBodies are loaded onto a plane in Marsh Harbour on Saturday, September 7.Hide Caption 6 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianThis aerial photo, taken on September 7, shows damage at the South Riding Point oil-storage facility in the Bahamas.Hide Caption 7 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBoxes of food are loaded onto trucks in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 7.Hide Caption 8 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPeople reach out for beverages as they await evacuation in Marsh Harbour.Hide Caption 9 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEvacuees from the Bahamas rest on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after it arrived in Freeport on September 7. The ship delivered thousands of meals and cases of bottled water.Hide Caption 10 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPeople wait to leave Marsh Harbour on September 7.Hide Caption 11 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWaves crash into boats in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as Hurricane Dorian approached on September 7.Hide Caption 12 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man looks a tree that fell in Moncton, New Brunswick, on September 7. Hide Caption 13 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man surveys damage at the Boardwalk RV Park in Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on Friday, September 6.Hide Caption 14 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBryan Philips walks with his dog on a flooded road in Salvo, North Carolina, on September 6.Hide Caption 15 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEvacuees wait to leave Marsh Harbour in the Bahamas.Hide Caption 16 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA fallen tree lies on top of a vehicle in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on September 6.Hide Caption 17 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianSchemelda Saintilien walks past debris and damaged houses on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island.Hide Caption 18 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPolice Officer Curtis Resor, left, and Sgt. Michael Stephens check a sailboat for occupants in Beaufort, North Carolina, on September 6.Hide Caption 19 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianHomes flattened by Hurricane Dorian are seen on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on Thursday, September 5.Hide Caption 20 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianRescue workers recover a body in Marsh Harbour on September 5.Hide Caption 21 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianTwo men stand amid the destruction in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 5.Hide Caption 22 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA woman from the Bahamas speaks on a cell phone after evacuating on September 5. Hide Caption 23 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA woman battles rain and wind in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 5. Hide Caption 24 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianUtility crews work on restoring power in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on September 5. Hide Caption 25 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianRescue workers walk through floodwaters in Little River, South Carolina, on September 5. Hide Caption 26 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWorkers try to restore power after a tornado hit Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on September 5. Several tornadoes were reported in the Carolinas. Hide Caption 27 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEmerald Isle employees work to clear a road after a tornado hit.Hide Caption 28 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianAn aerial view of Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 5.Hide Caption 29 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianAn evacuee rides in a Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from Treasure Cay, Bahamas, on Wednesday, September 4.Hide Caption 30 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBoats are piled up on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on September 4.Hide Caption 31 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianRoshane Eyma cries as she is greeted by members of her church on September 4. She had been rescued and flown to Nassau, Bahamas.Hide Caption 32 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianMarsh Harbour is seen from above on September 4.Hide Caption 33 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianHouses destroyed by Hurricane Dorian are seen on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on September 4.Hide Caption 34 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA resident recovers dishes from his son's home in Pine Bay, Bahamas, on September 4.Hide Caption 35 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianAn aerial view of damage on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island.Hide Caption 36 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA child walks past clothes laid out to dry in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 4.Hide Caption 37 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA broken plane rests on the side of a road in Freeport.Hide Caption 38 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianDebris litters the Grand Bahama International Airport on September 4.Hide Caption 39 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianVolunteers receive relief supplies at the New Providence Community Center in Nassau.Hide Caption 40 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBoats, docks and houses are destroyed on the island of Great Abaco.Hide Caption 41 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBraden Vick, right, and Scott Ray run along The Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, on September 4.Hide Caption 42 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBob Quarles boards up his beach house in Oak Island, North Carolina, on September 4.Hide Caption 43 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA house is surrounded by floodwaters on Grand Bahama island.Hide Caption 44 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianDebbie Pagan checks her raised furniture one last time before she and her husband evacuated their home in Tybee Island, Georgia, on September 4.Hide Caption 45 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianMailboxes are taped shut in Charleston on September 4.Hide Caption 46 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianThis aerial image shows damage on the Bahamas' Great Abaco island on Tuesday, September 3.Hide Caption 47 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA family is escorted to a safe zone after being rescued in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 3. Hide Caption 48 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianJulia Aylen carries her dog as she wades through waist-deep water near her home in Freeport on September 3.Hide Caption 49 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianDamaged homes are seen in this aerial photograph from the Bahamas on September 3.Hide Caption 50 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianVolunteers walk down a flooded road as they work to rescue families near the Casuarina Bridge in Freeport on September 3. Hide Caption 51 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA car is submerged in Freeport floodwaters on September 3. Hide Caption 52 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianResidents wade through a flooded street in Freeport on September 3.Hide Caption 53 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEddie Wright and his dog, Vino, wait on a bus to evacuate Brunswick, Georgia.Hide Caption 54 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA house is flooded in Freeport on September 3.Hide Caption 55 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPeople gather donations at the Christ Episcopal Church in Miami.Hide Caption 56 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBoats are piled up at a Bahamian port on Monday, September 2.Hide Caption 57 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man walks through the rubble left by Hurricane Dorian in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 2.Hide Caption 58 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianThis September 2 photo provided by NASA shows the eye of Hurricane Dorian as seen from the International Space Station. Hide Caption 59 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEvacuation traffic is seen near South Carolina's coast on September 2.Hide Caption 60 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianUS Coast Guard helicopter crews have been helping with search-and-rescue efforts in the Bahamas.Hide Caption 61 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man crosses a street during a downpour in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on September 2.Hide Caption 62 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianThis aerial photo shows Marsh Harbour, Bahamas, on September 2.Hide Caption 63 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianAgency officials brief Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and his cabinet members on September 2. Minnis said many homes, businesses and other buildings have been destroyed or heavily damaged. He called the devastation "unprecedented and extensive."Hide Caption 64 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBusinesses are shuttered near Jetty Park in Fort Pierce, Florida, on September 2.Hide Caption 65 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA boy stands near high surf in Vero Beach, Florida, on September 2.Hide Caption 66 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianThis view of the storm was taken from the International Space Station on September 2.Hide Caption 67 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianDorian left heavy damage at this resort in Hope Town, Bahamas.Hide Caption 68 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWaves caused by Dorian crash into a man at the Jupiter Beach Park in Florida on September 2.Hide Caption 69 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianStrong winds blow the tops of trees and brush in Freeport, Bahamas, on September 2.Hide Caption 70 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA passenger looks at the flight board at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on September 2. The airport canceled flights and closed because of winds caused by Dorian.Hide Caption 71 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPeople watch the waves crash onto Vero Beach, Florida, on September 2.Hide Caption 72 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianClouds loom over a lifeguard tower in Fort Lauderdale on September 2. Hide Caption 73 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianBeachgoers watch a man ride a kiteboard in Indialantic, Florida, on Sunday, September 1.Hide Caption 74 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPalm trees blow in strong winds prior to Dorian's landfall in Freeport.Hide Caption 75 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA view outside a car's windshield before Dorian hit Freeport on September 1.Hide Caption 76 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianRiverside Mobile Home Park residents Joe Lewis, left, and Rob Chambers work to secure an air conditioner before evacuating the park in Jensen Beach, Florida.Hide Caption 77 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man places a shutter in a window in Lake Worth, Florida.Hide Caption 78 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPassengers arrive at Orlando International Airport on Saturday, August 31.Hide Caption 79 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWorkers install storm shutters in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas.Hide Caption 80 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianNASA employees watch as the Artemis launch tower is rolled back inside a building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Hide Caption 81 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianMatt Rohrer loads sandbags in the back of his vehicle in Flagler Beach, Florida, on Friday, August 30.Hide Caption 82 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWorkers at Flamingo Gardens in Davie, Florida, move an Allosaurus statue on August 30.Hide Caption 83 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianShoppers wait in line before sunrise for a Sam's Club store to open in Kissimmee, Florida.Hide Caption 84 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA supervised work crew of female jail prisoners fills sandbags in Titusville, Florida, on Thursday, August 29.Hide Caption 85 of 99 Photos: Hurricane Dorian"Here's a look at #HurricaneDorian from @Space_Station," said astronaut Andrew Morgan, who posted this photo to Twitter. "I caught this shot (August 29) as it traveled across the Caribbean north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic."Hide Caption 86 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianShoppers wait in long lines at a Costco in Davie, Florida, on August 29.Hide Caption 87 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man fills containers with gasoline in Hialeah, Florida, on August 29.Hide Caption 88 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianA man rides a bike by a Miami Beach building with boarded-up windows on August 29.Hide Caption 89 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianDozens of Orange County residents fill sandbags at Blanchard Park in Orlando on Wednesday, August 28.Hide Caption 90 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianEmpty shelves at a supermarket in Patillas, Puerto Rico, on August 28.Hide Caption 91 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianPeople stock up with groceries and water in Fort Lauderdale.Hide Caption 92 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianYa Mary Morales and Henry Sustache put plywood over the windows of their home in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, on August 28. Puerto Rico was ultimately spared the brunt of hurricane-force winds.Hide Caption 93 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianWorkers prepare a store's exterior in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on August 28.Hide Caption 94 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianCars line up for fuel at a gas station in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday, August 27.Hide Caption 95 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianMen board up a shop's windows in Boqueron, Puerto Rico, on August 27.Hide Caption 96 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianMunicipal employees clear debris in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on August 27.Hide Caption 97 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianResidents board up a storefront pharmacy in Bridgetown, Barbados, on Monday, August 26.Hide Caption 98 of 99 Photos: Hurricane DorianResidents stand in line at a grocery store in Bridgetown on August 26.Hide Caption 99 of 99"The scientific consensus is that we're going to see more intense storms, so we have to research and test for more intense storms," said Olson. "Otherwise, nature's going to keep hitting us with harder stuff than we're ready for." The facility will be the first of its kind in the world to combine wind speeds of greater magnitude along with a water component. Eventually the facility will be able to test how different types of infrastructure, roads, bridges will all respond with a Category 6 storm. "We can start putting all of these components together to get a much better picture of what nature is going to be hitting us with," says Olson. Yes, I realized I just referred to it as a Category 6 storm. And it might make some of you a little uncomfortable. To be honest, it bothers me a little bit too. But to be fair, if you look at the wind scale for the hurricanes, they are all -- more or less -- in about 20 mph increments. When a Category 5 hurricane's wind speeds start at 157 mph, and we see storms with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph, it's a number that makes me go pale. Since 2010, there have been 18 storms globally with recorded wind speeds of at least 178 mph at some point during their life span. Irma in 2017 and Dorian in 2019 were two storms in the Atlantic to meet the threshold. It begs the question, especially for messaging purposes, do these types of storms need a special name? Category 6? Super-hurricane? Just something to put an exclamation point on how intense these specific storms are. But the truth of the matter is, most people who die in hurricanes don't die from wind, but from water. I reached out to my friend, Dennis Feltgen, the public affairs officer at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) about whether he thought there would ever be a day in our future we would see a Category 6, and here is what he had to say: "NHC has tried to steer the focus toward the individual hazards, which include storm surge, wind, rainfall, tornadoes and rip currents, instead of the particular category of the storm, which only provides information about the hazard from wind. Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale already captures 'Catastrophic Damage' from wind, so it's not clear that there would be a need for another category even if storms were to get stronger. In addition, most deaths in tropical cyclones occur not from the wind but from water -- storm surge, rainfall/inland flooding, and hazardous surf -- causing about 90 percent of tropical cyclone deaths in the United States. So, we don't want to overemphasize the wind hazard by placing too much emphasis on the category." I do agree with Dennis, but I also think as storms become stronger, wetter and slower, there might be a day the category system evolves from what it is now, just as the EF scale or Fujita scale was enhanced in 2007. And by the way, the same facility will also test tornado and thunderstorm winds. There are a few research facilities studying extreme winds. Watch the video below to see what 100 mph winds can do to a house. JUST WATCHEDWatch what winds over 100 mph do to this houseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWatch what winds over 100 mph do to this house 01:24"I think the interaction between the various components of hurricanes, the waves, the flooding, the currents, and the wind, the debris, all of that, it's very important to simulate that as practically as possible," said Dr. Arindam Gan Chowdhury, professor of environmental engineering at FIU. "Everything is not possible to replicate Mother Nature. But the closer we can get, the better we can learn." FIU along with seven other universities will partner in this endeavor. Read the full news release from FIU here.

Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist

2022-01-31 18:02:41

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/31/weather/winter-storm-south-ice-snow-groundhog-day-wxn/index.html

While the Northeast is digging out of last week's blizzard, the next storm is taking aim at the South - CNN

Snow, sleet and freezing rain are set to impact millions this week, setting up the potential for power outages while temperatures plunge well below freezing.

weather, While the Northeast is digging out of last week's blizzard, the next storm is taking aim at the South - CNN

The next winter storm takes aim at the South, while the Northeast digs out of last week's blizzard

A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, which releases every Monday. You can sign up here to receive these every week and during significant storms. (CNN)'Tis the season for winter storms to line up like parade floats at Mardi Gras. Last week's storm would have won the prize for a winter wonderland float and this week's storm would be topped with icicles. The historic blizzard which slammed the Northeast and New England last weekend dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some locations. Boston tied its biggest snowfall ever on any single day on Saturday, after 23.6 inches fell. If you missed the big Northeast storm, read more about it here or see images from the historic storm here. The next winter storm takes aim at the SouthNow the next winter storm is on deck to strike the South and mid-South the hardest. Read MorePlaces like Dallas and Memphis; I'm looking at you for this one because of the ice impact. Anyone from the Great Plains to the Great Lakes and even the Northeast will see its effects, but there's still not enough confidence in the forecast to know what exactly the effects will be. The storm will start making an impact Tuesday across the northern and central states and will not exit the East Coast until Friday night.Track the storm as it develops here.Forecast rain (in green), snow (in blue), and ice (in pink and purple) accumulation this week from Tuesday through Friday."The data continues to favor a winter storm impacting the region Wednesday night into Thursday; however, it is still not a 'slam dunk' forecast," said the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Dallas/Ft Worth. "A faster progression of the cold air would mean a more significant winter precip event while delayed cold air would lead to mainly minor impacts." This Arctic air is potent. It's dropping out of Canada and will bring winter precipitation and freezing temperatures with it. There are already winter storm watches up for portions of the central Plains, stretching north into Michigan. More than half a foot of snow could fall across the Plains, with amounts as high as a foot possible for southern Michigan. In Springfield, Missouri, the potential for freezing rain and sleet could disrupt travel and cause power outages Wednesday into Thursday as the storm sweeps through. Not another Texas-sized ice stormAs the front travels south, places like Dallas could see ice as well. "It appears that the highest ice accumulation will occur to the northeast of the Metroplex," NWS Dallas/Ft Worth said. Ice amounts of about a quarter inch are possible, with additional snow and sleet expected. "Any sleet and snow that falls will accumulate easily as it settles on a layer of ice," the Dallas/Ft Worth NWS office explained. Here's the latest on the winter weather potential mid week. Greatest concern for travel impacts is Wed night through early Friday. Dangerously cold wind chills are expected Thurs & Fri AM with below zero and single digits possible. Stay tuned for updates! #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/Lr0HwUzkEB— NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) January 31, 2022 Ice will most likely accumulate on power lines and winds will be gusting up to 35 mph. This makes power outages a huge concern. Temperatures will fall into the teens and single digits Friday and Saturday mornings, with wind chill values below zero. The last time Dallas recorded a high temperature at or below freezing, which is the forecast for Thursday, was last year during the week long deep freeze in February. While this cold snap is not expected to last as long as last year, it will still be a dangerous situation for anyone who loses power. Dallas will rebound to highs back in the 40s by the weekend. Areas around Paducah, Kentucky could see up to an inch of ice. Here are the latest Winter Storm Watches in effect for the developing Winter Storm this week. For southeast MO and southern IL, the winter storm watch begins Wednesday night, with ice accumulations the primary concern. Check the latest forecasts if are traveling this week. pic.twitter.com/aQdF5U0eNw— NWS Paducah, KY (@NWSPaducah) January 31, 2022 "The most critical time period for ice accumulation appears to be between midnight Wednesday night through noon on Thursday," the NWS office in Paducah said. Models are even hinting at a shot of ice through portions of the Northeast. It's still too early to tell what disruptions the Northeast might face, but it's something to keep on your radar as we get closer to Friday. Near hurricane-force wind gusts near San Francisco (AGAIN) Another significant wind event is forecast for the Central Valley and Bay Area this week, and it is one worth watching. This offshore wind event is expected to develop late on Monday night and is forecast to last through Thursday morning."High wind alerts have been issued ahead of this windstorm and include San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento," said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink. Sustained, northerly winds up to 30 mph is the current forecast with gust up to 45 mph. "There is potential for North Bay hills to have gusts peaking at 70+ mph," the National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Francisco said. A high wind watch has been issued across the majority of the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Cruz mountains (excluding the Santa Clara valley) for gusty northerly winds. These gusty winds arrive between tonight and Thursday morning and fcst strongest in the N Bay mtns. #cawx pic.twitter.com/tCL7EpuxsD— NWS Bay Area (@NWSBayArea) January 31, 2022 The last time the weather models were forecasting such a strong, offshore wind event for this area was just 10 days ago on January 21 and 22. This event brought hurricane force wind gusts to the region, which knocked down trees and power lines leading to power outages. The Colorado Fire was also sparked during this event which burned over 650 acres, leading to evacuations and shutting down California's historic Highway 1 for miles, north of Big Sur. Now, NWS San Francisco is "not saying that same thing will happen again, but it's possible and something that we'll be watching closely in the coming days." The day meteorologists get replaced by a large ground squirrel: Groundhog Day Punxsutawney Phil 'forecasting' if there will be six more weeks of winter on February 2, 2021.If I had a quarter for all the times I've heard people say "meteorologists are the only profession who can be wrong all the time and still have a job," well, while I obviously disagree with that statement, the groundhog surely has us beat. Millions tune in to see what the furry little rodent will do on Wednesday. Will he see his shadow? Will there be six more weeks of winter? Well, spoiler alert, he sees his shadow the vast majority of the time (104 times vs 20 times of not seeing it). I have to wonder if it's because of the big TV lights that illuminate the stage he is on, but that's a whole different story for another day. According to the NWS, Phil has been correct 50% of the time in the last 10 years. Which is pretty much the same as a coin flip. The forecast in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania Wednesday morning is mostly cloudy with a temperature right around freezing. So, according to the forecast, Punxsutawney Phil may not be seeing his shadow which would mean an early spring. But we will have to wait to see what the prognosticator says about it.

Judson Jones and Jennifer Gray, CNN

2022-01-24 17:53:56

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weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/24/weather/frozen-iguanas-pancake-ice-snow-midwest-cold-wxn/index.html

Winter weather news: Another winter storm is streaking across the northern Plains this week. But it won't stop Plowy McPlowface, one of Minnesota's famed snowplows - CNN

What does it take to plow a major city in a massive snowstorm? And the cold is gripping the country so far south that iguanas are freezing, literally.

weather, Winter weather news: Another winter storm is streaking across the northern Plains this week. But it won't stop Plowy McPlowface, one of Minnesota's famed snowplows - CNN

Another winter storm is streaking across the northern Plains this week. But it won't stop Plowy McPlowface, one of Minnesota's famed snowplows

A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, which releases every Monday. You can sign up here to receive these every week and during significant storms. (CNN)This week, another winter storm is streaking across the northern Plains and the Midwest, dropping a few inches of snow. And it's so cold outside, iguanas are falling out of trees.But this won't stop Plowy McPlowface, one of Minnesota's famed snowplows. Through frosted windows and low visibility, these trucks plow on. Here's what it is like to drive in such harsh conditions. Plowing is more than cute names A snowplow sprays salt on a frozen Minnesota highway."Your visibility is low, it's snowing, freezing, your windshield wipers are clacking along trying to keep the windshield clean." Dan Pendergast is one of the drivers of the 800 snowplows in Minnesota. And in the Twin Cities where he drives, they can see as much as 51 inches of snow in a single season. Read More"Here in Minnesota, things can happen so fast. It can switch from rain to snow to ice very quickly and it's hazardous," says Pendergast. In Minnesota, snowplows are given names and snowplow drivers are local celebrities. Plowy McPlowface, Darth Blader and F. Salt Fitzgerald, just to name a few. "We thought last year with everyone at home, it would be something fun to do, to have a naming contest, and oh my goodness did it take off," says Anne Meyer, with Minnesota Department of Transportation. The idea came from Scotland, which has more than 50 plows named. In fact, voting is taking place now for the next round of plows to be named in Minnesota, if you want to get in on the fun. Some of the names you can vote on this year include "CTRL Salt Delete," "Edward Blizzardhands" and "Betty Whiteout," after the legendary actress who passed away on New Year's Eve. "It gives it more personality and makes it more human," says Meyer. "People take more caution knowing we have folks inside these plows. So, we hoped it would help remind people we are doing a job out there and help protect our men and women who are behind the wheel." Snowplow drivers, like Pendergast and the other 1,600 plow drivers across Minnesota, have a dangerous job on the snowy highways of Minnesota. Working 12-hour shifts, the men and women run 80,000-pound trucks that simultaneously plow the streets and lay down salt and chemicals to keep the roads from becoming an icy mess. "The inside of our trucks have three computer screens, four joysticks, and multiple buttons to push to make things happen," says Pendergast. "So, there's a lot of things happening on the road and a lot of things happening inside the cab." He says getting the solution on the streets in the tiny window of opportunity between when the rain ends, and the snow begins is a delicate dance they train for. Snowplows line up, from the left side of the road to the right, plowing accumulated snow on a Minnesota highway.They stage on the side of the highways and as soon as they see the weather switching over to winter precipitation, they go, in what they call a team plow. "We put six or seven trucks in a row, and we push all the snow simultaneously, from the left to right, and we use our computer systems in the truck which are pretty elaborate. That tells us how much salt we put down," says Pendergast. Pendergast says when he sees cities in the south like Atlanta's snowmageddon in 2014 and most recently, the ice catastrophe in Virginia, that stranded motorists in their cars for 24 hours, he's not surprised. "When it starts to snow, you will get that initial snow to melt on the road and you are going to have traffic rolling over the road and more snow, the snow starts compacting and bonding to the road. You're not going to get it off," says Pendergast. "There's not a heck of a lot you can do because you're not going to be able to get the chemicals down and I'm guessing those areas don't have the equipment we have here, like the icebreakers and really good cutting-edge equipment. We have 800 plows in the state, 200 in the metro area, Atlanta and Virginia are probably going to have 40 or less." He also mentioned how one accident with a tractor-trailer can back up traffic for hours, since you won't be able to get any maintenance vehicles on the road because of the backup. It's a domino effect of unfortunate events in cities that typically don't see as much snow have a hard time avoiding. "For these cities that don't have the equipment, you get a freak snowstorm or ice storm, it is what it is, you can't place blame on the people for the situation that happens because you had snow or rain and you don't have the equipment. You're not going to be able to keep up," says Pendergast. In Minnesota, they have regular experience dealing with the intricacies of plowing roads. The famed snowplows and their operators pay little attention to the celebrity status they have been given and focus on the snowy job at hand. "Mostly people honk or give a thumbs up," says Meyer. "Our fear is that we don't want people to get in the way. We aren't trying to make it a celebrity status, because Plowy McPlowface has a job to do, and we want to make sure they can get the job done." If you want to see these famous snowplows in action, you can watch their dashcam feeds here. It's so cold that... Wind chill temperatures (also known as the "feels like temperature") forecast for Tuesday morning.Minnesota, which is used to the snow and cold, could experience the coldest night of the season this week. Lows in some areas Tuesday night could drop to 30 degrees below zero, and over the next few days, the wind chill across this region will feel even colder than the forecast temperature. In fact, it has been so cold in the Midwest this past week, Lake Michigan is producing some fantastic pancake ice, but it isn't the latest breakfast trend. See more images and how these ice formations occur. And now that you are craving pancakes, let me point you towards how to safely exercise in the cold. Did I mention 'falling iguanas'? It was a real threat in Miami on Monday morning morning as the temperature dipped below 50 degrees. "Iguanas begin to get sluggish or lethargic once the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but once the temperature drops below 45 degrees all the iguanas go into a dormant or cold-stunned state," our self-proclaimed resident frozen iguana expert and CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar explained. "They appear to be dead, but they are not. They remain breathing with critical body functions still operating." It is their body's way of protecting them until the temperature warms back up above 50 degrees, which for today, should be by late morning in most areas of central and southern Florida. They can be slightly dangerous to humans, says Chinchar. "Iguanas often sleep in trees, so when their bodies go dormant, they appear to fall from the sky onto streets, cars, pools, or even people walking around. And since iguanas are large -- adult males can reach 5 feet in length and weigh up to 20 pounds -- this can be dangerous if one lands on top of you." You can read more from Chinchar on past frozen iguana sightings here.

Judson Jones and Jennifer Gray, CNN

2022-01-17 19:27:32

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/17/weather/more-snow-forecast-south-wxn/index.html

Weather news: Snow and ice will return to the South this week. Maybe. - CNN

If you can believe it -- MORE winter weather could impact the same spots later this week as what are getting hit Monday and this past weekend.

weather, Weather news: Snow and ice will return to the South this week. Maybe. - CNN

Snow and ice will return to the South this week. Maybe.

A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, which releases every Monday. You can sign up here to receive these every week and during significant storms. (CNN)If you can believe it -- MORE winter weather could impact the same spots later this week as what are getting hit Monday and this past weekend. Like my five-year-old, you might still feel like you need to #BlameJudson for the lack of snow. He put the spoon under his pillow, threw ice cubes in the toilet, ran around the table singing "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow" AND wore his pajamas inside out the night before. Even though we saw white flakes, there still wasn't enough snow on the ground to use the sled I bought him when he was two. I am as disappointed as anyone that our snowless streak in Atlanta continues. But there is a chance -- if we get measurable snow later this week -- we will keep from breaking the record of going 1,477 days without snow. (We are currently sitting at 1,460 days Monday.) Some computer forecast models are hinting at another winter system to hit parts of the South and make its way up the coast this weekend. This storm system, if you believe one model, will bring real snow to Atlanta, but also an icy mess to coastal towns like Savannah in Georgia and Charleston in South Carolina. Be sure to bookmark this link and check back later in the week to see how much the National Weather Service is forecasting.Read MoreNot to mention, it could actually bring good accumulating snow to cities in the Northeast, like New York. The problem is, there is less uncertainty in this storm system than this past weekend. Last week, both global weather models showed the same overall weather pattern but disagreed on the details. This week we can't even say we are sure something WILL happen. "Ample forecast spread and continuity issues limits predictability of particular system threats days 4-7," the Weather Prediction Center said Monday morning in its forecast discussion. What is certain is that a cold front will push through the Central US Wednesday and across the East through Thursday, leaving an Arctic blast of frigid air behind it. Frigid below-average temperatures dive south and east Wednesday through Thursday. Temperatures from the Plains to the East Coast could drop 20 to 30 degrees below normal. Texas, for instance, will have many areas go from the 70s and 80s Tuesday to mid-30s and lower 40s on Thursday. As frigid temperatures established across the East Thursday into Friday, a low pressure system is expected to form along the cold front and just off the Georgia coast. If it forms near the coast, it could filter in moisture from the Atlantic into the cold air, allowing for that winter precipitation to form in areas that you might not associate with ice or snow. Take Charleston, South Carolina, for instance. "The thermal profiles of all of the medium range models indicate the potential for wintry precipitation across all or part of the forecast area at some point from late Thursday night through Saturday morning," the National Weather Service in Charleston said Monday morning. It also adds a similar disclaimer: "There has been drastic run-to-run inconsistency between the global models which has resulted in a low confidence forecast." There it is, the "maybe." Sound familiar? Here's why. The one model that shows the system close to the coast takes it up the coastline, bringing more winter precip for a longer period for Georgia, the Carolinas, and then into the mid-Atlantic and coastal New England. The American weather model still shows some precip in the South but not the widespread European model. It forms a low, but the storm system quickly moves East away from the coast. This means there still is likely to be some winter precip in some areas, but less. Thus my son's dreams to sled are likely to be dashed again. But this outcome will probably be better for those of you chipping away at ice today or digging out of the snow. Another complex wrinkle is the latest American model shows another shot at snow in the South on Sunday. But it is worth keeping an eye on this week. "This has the potential to be a big event, but without a convergence in model solutions and better run-to-run consistency, messaging timing, amounts, and impacts will be challenging," the Atlanta National Weather Service said. An unexpected cloud that the meteorological community did not expect to see Saturday New images released Monday reveal what is left of the oceanic volcano. It is not much. The left image is data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite acquired on 2 January 2022 and the right is Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite imagery from 15 January 2022.Just when you think you have it all figured out, Mother Nature loves to throw a curveball. Of course, while millions in the Southeast were gearing up for a huge winter storm -- deciding if it was worth it to get a sled -- a volcano eruption was the last thing we saw coming. We were all so focused with a one-track mind on the winter weekend that lies ahead. Then suddenly -- BOOM! It was an explosion that was felt and heard around the world, and one we never saw coming. A volcano erupted off the island of Tonga in the South Pacific, and it created literal shockwaves -- and tsunami waves -- around the world. Saturday morning's eruption was likely the largest volcano eruption the planet has seen in more than 30 years. Gas, ash and steam shot up into the sky nearly 19 miles high, and a tsunami was triggered by the incredible water displacement from the blast. Waves began to travel across the Pacific in all directions, even impacting the US west coast and Hawaii. If this is all news to you, catch up on all the details of what happened here. If you want to geek out with me a little on what continues to blow my meteorological mind, let's keep going. First, the fact the eruption was actually heard as far away as Alaska -- nearly 6,000 miles away -- is absolutely wild! The first images of the eruption and shock wave could be seen from space. There was a pressure drop that was felt around the world as well. Meteorologists took to Twitter to show the slow rise and then rapid pressure drop at stations across the world, including the US. As far as impacting our weather around the world, experts say it's a little too early to tell. Erik Klemetti, an associate professor of geosciences at Denison University in Ohio, tells CNN the Tonga eruption might have a regional impact on temperature, though scientists are still unsure of its significance. Klemetti noted it ultimately depends on how much sulfur dioxide made it into the atmosphere. Interesting note: most people think it's the ash that affects global temperatures and weather after a volcanic eruption. It's actually the sulfur dioxide, which reacts with water to form aerosols that reflect the sunlight back to space to absorb heat in the upper atmosphere. You can read more about the volcano's impacts to global temperature here.

Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist

2022-01-10 17:21:49

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/weather/weather-news-freezing-cold-lake-effect-snow-climate-change-wxn/index.html

Northeast: Major US cities will feel like they're below zero this week. Find out where - CNN

Temperatures expected this week will be the coldest air of the season by far, and will even reach some big cities in the Northeast and New England.

weather, Northeast: Major US cities will feel like they're below zero this week. Find out where - CNN

Major US cities will feel like they're below zero this week. Find out where

CNN Weather produces a weekly column, publishing Mondays, with the weather news you should be aware of as you plan out your week. Find updates each week here. If you enjoy this, sign up to get email updates on significant storms in your inbox. (CNN)It's winter, which means we expect cold temperatures for the northern tier of the country. But the type of cold expected this week will be the coldest air of the season by far, and will even reach some big cities in the Northeast and New England. It's the kind of cold capable of delivering frostbite in minutes, turn boiling water into frozen mist in a nanosecond, and even cold enough to freeze your eyelashes. New York City and Boston will both be in the deep freeze this week, flirting with "feels like" temperatures around zero or below."Feels like" refers to how temperature and wind work together to make it feel colder than it would be with no wind, also known as wind chill.Read MoreAs the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down skin temperature and eventually the internal body temperature. Therefore, the wind makes it "feel" much colder.For example, across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains, where temperatures have dropped to dangerously cold levels, in some areas morning air temperatures were 5 to 15 degrees below zero, but with the wind chill, it felt like it was 35 to 45 degrees below zero. If you're a weather geek, you'll enjoy this tweet from the National Weather Service (NWS), which shows what happens on the radar when the ground temperature gets as cold as the cloud tops. Temperatures in Minnesota were as cold as 31 degrees below zero Monday morning.A fun feature of the temperature-sensing bands of our weather satellites occurs during winter when the land surface gets as cold as the cloud tops! Surface temperatures are as low as -31 this morning across northern MN and showing up brightly to GOES-East! pic.twitter.com/ZmFtzo1sI0— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 10, 2022 Over 185 million people, or more than half of the US population, were below freezing Monday morning, with nearly 10 million below zero, said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. A strong cold front with a chilling blast of Arctic air is responsible for the extreme cold. "Though wind chill values are dangerously cold in the upper Midwest this [Monday] morning, the rarity of the temperatures forecast for New York and Boston should be noted," said CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri. "With a forecast high of only 20 F degrees on Tuesday, Central Park will fall some 20 degrees below its climatological norm of 40 F for this time of year." In fact, wind chill warnings and advisories spanned 12 states Monday, from Montana to Maine.Across the summit peaks in Vermont in New Hampshire, "feels like" temperatures could bottom out as low as minus 60."Temperatures this cold can lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as ten minutes," cautioned the Weather Prediction Center (WPC).New York City won't be quite that cold, but still extreme, with "feels like" temperatures dropping below zero Tuesday morning, a rare event for the Big Apple. "With temperatures sitting below freezing for 72 hours, and a good 10 to 20 degrees below normal for 48 hours, potential for poorly insulated water pipes to freeze and related structural flooding issues," warned the NWS in New York City. See how cold your area will beBoston will also be in the Arctic air mass, with bitter cold arriving tonight, as temperatures drop into the single digits."Wind chill values will feel even colder given the gusty winds," says the NWS Boston. "A Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect, starting early Tuesday morning for wind chill values less than -15 F."Tuesday's forecast high is only 12 degrees, which has only occurred nine times since 1986, according to Javaheri. Boston Public Schools are closed Tuesday due to the frigid temperatures and dangerous wind chill.As meteorologists, we always hear "Oh, so where's your global warming now?" Honestly, it's becoming less common the more people become educated on climate change, but there's always someone who will troll us on social media and bring it up. So before the tweets begin, here's your answer. "Even in a warming climate, there will still be some cold extremes, or periods of intense and even record-breaking cold at times," explained CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller. "Look no further than last year, when a massive cold-air outbreak in the central and southern portions of the US caused power outages for millions and resulted in the costliest winter storm in US history."While the cold spell will be significant, it will be fairly short-lived and confined to one or two regions of the country. "Compare that to last month, which saw several weeks worth of record-shattering warmth over more than half of the country, which helped to spawn deadly severe weather which was unprecedented in December," said Miller. He also adds, "But cold extremes are becoming far fewer, especially compared to hot extremes, which are outpacing them by two or three to one over the recent decade."The cold and wind are bringing impressive lake effect snowBitter cold and strong winds are triggering some pretty incredible lake effect snow bands. The NWS office in Binghamton has issued a lake effect snow warning for snow totaling ten to 20 inches of snow. Winds there are gusting up to 40 mph, resulting in wind chill values as low as 30 degrees below zero. The snow bands are traveling as far as northeastern Connecticut, more than 200 miles away. The Great Lakes are currently only about seven percent frozen, keeping the lake-effect snow machine going.Usually the lakes hit their peak for percentage frozen by late February or early March. Lake effect snow will typically slow in February. Washington State facing more rain and snowA car drives through water over the road after another storm hit the Pacific Northwest.Washington state has been the bullseye for one extreme weather event after another for the last several weeks. A series of atmospheric rivers has left the state buried under historic amounts of snow, and unprecedented flooding.The snow closed several mountain late last week, and flooding temporarily closed parts of I-5 in both directions, and even forced an entire town to be evacuated. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced Monday afternoon that it will be reopening US 12-White Pass. Once White Pass is reopened, that will mean three of the four Cascade Range passes closed last week will be opened after winter weather led to the closures. Snoqualmie and Blewett passes reopened Sunday night. Stevens Pass will likely not open before Wednesday, according to the state DOT.The Snoqualmie, Stevens, White and Blewett passes are major routes that connect the western and eastern parts of the state.The Skokomish River, which rose quickly and forced residents of the Skokomish Valley to evacuate, could rise again by midweek, with the next round of rain. "Atmospheric river moving into Western Washington tonight and stalling over the area until Wednesday," said the NWS office in Seattle. Rainfall totals for tonight through Wednesday in the Olympic Mountains will be in the five to ten inch range and the North Cascades could get three to five inches of rain. "Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations," the NWS Seattle added. According to Washington Department of Transportation, "There is continued danger of avalanche in rare paths and multiple 30-35 ft. tall slides over the roadway (along US 2 east of Seattle). It is unlikely Stevens Pass will reopen before Wednesday, Jan. 12th."Washington digs out after extreme weather leads to 38 avalanches Weather disasters cost $145 billion last year as price of climate crisis soars 'off the charts'The US saw 20 disasters in 2021 costing at least $1 billion each. It's two fewer billion-dollar disasters than 2020, the record year, but the data show 2021's disasters were deadlier and more costly. The total cost of the disasters was $145 billion, which is $43 billion more than last year. From 2011 to 2021, such disasters have cost the US $1 trillion.Read more hereWhy are we seeing more extreme weather?JUST WATCHEDWhy are we seeing more and more extreme weather events?ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhy are we seeing more and more extreme weather events? 04:18From drought, to heat, to floods, to fires, our world is experiencing an unprecedented number of weather disasters.Watch to find out why we are seeing more extreme weather than ever before.Watch the incredible moment skiers find a dog buried under an avalancheJUST WATCHEDSee the incredible moment skiers find dog buried under avalancheReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee the incredible moment skiers find dog buried under avalanche 01:23Watch the heroic moments as three skiers rescue a dog buried under an avalanche for 20 minutes. One of the skiers decided he needed to get off the mountain in fear another avalanche would trigger, and just then, the dog was found.Haley Brink, Rachel Ramirez, John Keefe, Priya Krishnakumar and Joe Sutton contributed to this weather column

Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist

2022-01-03 17:34:24

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/weather/weather-news-snow-storm-cold-temperatures-wxn/index.html

From record high temperatures to snow, these towns are shivering in shock Monday - CNN

Millions woke up this morning with a weather whiplash like no other.

weather, From record high temperatures to snow, these towns are shivering in shock Monday - CNN

From record high temperatures to snow, these towns are shivering in shock Monday

CNN Weather produces a weekly column, publishing Mondays, with the weather news you should be aware of as you plan out your week. Find updates each week here. If you enjoy this, sign up to get email updates on significant storms in your inbox. (CNN)Millions woke up this morning with a weather whiplash like no other. After ringing in the new year in shorts and flip-flops, those same people are in the deep freeze today. Some even went from 80 degree temperatures one day, to snowfall the next day.Dozens of high temperature records were broken over the weekend. Jacksonville, Florida hit a high of 84 on Sunday, breaking a record. It snowed in parts of the Florida Panhandle Monday morning. The Okaloosa County Sheriffs department shared a video on Facebook with the caption, "Well how's this for a temperature change? From 75 degrees at 3 in the afternoon to snow at 3 am."Well how's this for a temperature change? From 75 degrees at 3 in the afternoon to snow at 3 am captured during patrol in the Lowe's parking lot on Beal by B-Shift Central! Bundle up out there! 🥶⭐️🆒 @NWSMobile #Florida #weather #snow #patrol #deputies #floridalife pic.twitter.com/xOKgZQElmi— OkaloosaSheriff (@OCSOALERTS) January 3, 2022 Memphis broke a record by hitting 79 degrees, then less than 24 hours later, snow. Read More"What a difference a day makes," said the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Memphis. "It has been an eventful few days." I don't think anyone who has been keeping track of the national weather would argue with that. From historic wind-driven fires in Colorado, to tornadoes across the south, to record warmth, to sub-freezing temperatures, it has been anything but a quiet week. 'Unbelievable' - video shows people inside historic Colorado windstormThe Memphis area woke up this morning with temperatures in the teens. So to recap: High temperature records broken on Saturday, snow on Sunday, to temperatures in the teens on Monday. WHEW!As cold air moved east, dramatic temperature drops occured across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.They aren't the only ones feeling the most extreme yin-yang of weather. In Houston, they had a high of 85 degrees on Saturday, yes, breaking a high temperature record as well, to lows feeling like the 20s this morning when you factor in the wind chill. The New York City area broke records on Sunday. LaGuardia had a high of 60, which tied a record. JFK airport broke a record after hitting 59 degrees. By Tuesday morning, they will be in the teens. Near-record temperatures one day to nearly a foot of snow possible the nextFrom snow to freezing temperatures, the Southeast and mid-Atlantic are finally feeling like winter.Another one of those places is Washington, DC. They didn't break a record Sunday, but came close. The high temperature reached 64 degrees at the airport, 3 degrees shy of the record high. Now they are under a winter storm warning, with up to seven inches of snow expected by the end of the day. According to the NWS office in Baltimore, the area could see snowfall at one to three inches an hour in some locations, making travel difficult, and winds gusting as high as 30 mph will create blowing snow, making travel even more dangerous. Washington has been in a bit of a snow drought during the last few years. The last time DC had any measurable snow was February 2021, and it was only about half an inch. The last time they had more than 2.5" of accumulating snow was in January 2019, more than a thousand days ago.It was the big snowfall dumping more than 10" in and around the city. "A dynamic low pressure system will be the fuel for significant weather impacts across parts of the Southeast coast and Mid-Atlantic over the next day or so," said the Weather Prediction Center (WPC). This storm system is a fast-mover, but will still have major effects. "Generally, a swath of between 4-8 inches of snow is possible from the Southern Appalachians through Washington DC and into southern New Jersey by this evening," the WPC forecast, adding "Localized higher amounts between 8-12 inches are possible." Snowfall totals of two to six inches are possible through the Appalachian Mountains. Several inches of snow is forecast for the mid-Atlantic today, making it the first significant snow of the season.See how much snow is forecast for your area"Heavy wet snow will also accumulate on power lines leading to power outages," said the WPC. This morning there were roughly 500 thousand people who already lost power, and the number will likely go up. Expect more disruption in travel as well. As the storm moves across the region, flights will be delayed or canceled. This will only put more strain on the airlines who are already canceling flights due to a shortage in staff because of Covid. Flights will also be disrupted because of the winds, which will gust between 40-45 mph in the Southeast through the day today. "Refreezing of any melted snow tonight may produce additional hazardous travel conditions," said the WPC. It will make travel dangerous for Tuesday morning as well, long after the snow has ended. Lows will drop into the teens and 20s for much of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic tonight. Winds won't be quite as gusty, but there will still be a wind chill for most of the areas, making temperatures feel even cooler by Tuesday morning. Follow live updates on the East Coast storm here.Unusual tornadoes strike the south: Why the tornadoes in the South this weekend were so unusualImage of a low precipitation storm taken in Madison, Georgia on New Year's Eve. This storm spawned a tornado in Covington, Georgia.On New Year's Eve, two confirmed EF1 tornadoes caused damage in Georgia. Even though Friday's forecast called for severe storms, including tornadoes, it was a highly unusual event where rare "low precipitation" (LP) supercells generated the tornadoes."Low-precipitation storms are very rare in Georgia, or in the eastern US anywhere really, because East of the Mississippi River is so much more humid on average than the Plains. But it does happen from time to time, especially in the cooler season," said Brandon Miller, CNN Meteorologist. "Nearly 15 years ago to the day, on January 2, 2006, a similar storm with little rain and a very unremarkable presentation on radar produced an EF-3 tornado in Georgia."Such storms are more challenging to see on radar than more "traditional" severe storms. Meteorologists heavily rely on radar reflectivity to monitor where storms are located.The storm in Carroll County, which includes the northwestern suburbs of Atlanta, and the one in Newton County located between Augusta and Atlanta, both had ideal atmospheric conditions for supercells to develop and form tornadoes, however they were very small in overall size.While Friday's tornadoes weren't EF3's like the one in 2006, they did cause damage. Click here for more on the damage they caused and how the phenomenon happens.Remarkable warmth in AlaskaJUST WATCHEDAlaska reached temperatures warmer than Southern California in December ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHAlaska reached temperatures warmer than Southern California in December 04:16The sun is above the horizon in southern Alaska only six hours a day this time of year, yet one town managed to get all the way up to 67 degrees."In late December," Alaska climatologist Rick Thoman marveled on Twitter. "I would have not thought such a thing possible."Click here to see what's behind the weird weather.The day it rained fishFish fell from the sky in Texarkana, Texas.And as if the weather hasn't been bizarre enough this week, it started raining fish in Texarkana. Click here to read about the crazy phenomenon.CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar contributed to this weather column

Jennifer Gray, CNN meteorologist

2021-12-27 18:25:15

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/27/weather/travel-snow-ice-record-temperatures-wxn/index.html

A travel nightmare is setting up from coast to coast as holiday travelers return home - CNN

As the holiday hangover starts to wear off and the daunting trip home is facing you head on, Mother Nature isn't offering any favors.

weather, A travel nightmare is setting up from coast to coast as holiday travelers return home - CNN

A travel nightmare is setting up from coast to coast as holiday travelers return home

CNN Weather produces a weekly column, publishing Mondays, with the weather news you should be aware of as you plan out your week. Find updates each week here. If you enjoy this, sign up to get email updates on significant storms in your inbox. (CNN)As the holiday hangover starts to wear off and the daunting trip home is facing you head on, Mother Nature isn't offering any favors. Looks like the weather from coast to coast is putting on one last show for the final week of 2021. Ice and snow, rain and freezing temperatures will impact millions on their journey home. This will make for extremely dangerous conditions on the roads and the possibility of even more airline delays on top of those already caused by the surging coronavirus.Feet of mountain snowThe Pacific Northwest has already been blanketed with a post-Christmas layer of snow and bitter cold. Read MoreMore snow is on the way for the region, with 1 to 3 inches possible at lower elevations this week -- and more unseasonably cold temperatures to come. The Sierra could again be measuring snow in feet, adding to an already impressive snowpack. "The Sierra Nevada are expected to receive another 1 to 3 feet of snow with totals up to 3 feet possible in the highest elevations," said the Weather Prediction Center. While the snow is welcome in this drought-stricken region, it could make for dangerous conditions for the passes. In Nevada, injuries were reported in a 20-car pileup that happened Sunday after snow and wind created whiteout conditions.Even the Rockies will pick up 1 to 3 feet of snow. With the fresh snow and high winds, avalanches will be a huge concern. Avalanche warnings have been issues across portions of northern Colorado and Utah for backcountry skiers. "Heavy dense snowfall and strong winds will likely create dangerous avalanche conditions. Both human-triggered and natural avalanches are likely. Stay off of and out from under slopes steeper than 30 degrees," said the Utah Avalanche Center. In Colorado, their first avalanche death of the season happened on Christmas Eve after a backcountry skier was "fully buried" by an avalanche.Snow, ice and rainIn the East, snow is falling from the Dakotas to the Northeast and will continue through the day. While most of the snow will be relatively light, it could pile up in some locations, especially in Minnesota."Totals over 6 inches are possible in the Minnesota Arrowhead," said the WPC.Blizzard conditions are possible for portions of North Dakota and Minnesota, making for extremely dangerous travel and whiteout conditions.Winds gusting as high as 45 mph at times, causing snow drifts to pile as deep as 5 feet, according to the National Weather Service office in Bismarck, North Dakota. A wintry mix across portions of upstate New York and Pennsylvania will also make for dangerous conditions on the roads. Accumulation should remain less than a quarter of an inch, but slick spots will easily develop on roads and bridges.After this system, another one will impact many of the same regions on Tuesday into Wednesday.The next system will bring another round of snow for parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes.Areas farther south will receive all rain. Most of the rain totals will stay under 2 inches. Some isolated locations could see more.Contrasting temperatures from coast to coast The coldest temperatures this week will be across the northern Plains, where many areas will struggle to get above zero.Along with the cold will come strong winds, creating bitter wind chills."Blustery conditions will lead to dangerously cold wind chills ranging as low cold as -30 to -50 degrees, leading to the issuance of Wind Chill Warnings and Advisories," said the WPC. Bismarck is one of those places. The NWS office there issued this stark warning: "The cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes."Just outside of Seattle, temperatures Sunday morning were reported at just 10 degrees with a 50 mph wind, making for a dangerous wind chill of nearly 20 degrees below zero. This is extremely unusual for this area, which normally has a high temperature in the mid 40s this time of year.Temperatures for Seattle will likely stay below freezing until Thursday.While the West will be dealing with the extreme cold, those in the Southeast will continue to need their shorts and flip flops.Temperatures will range from over 20 degrees below average in the Northern Plains and West to over 20 degrees above average across the South this week.On Christmas Day, record heat stretched from Texas to Virginia. Houston set a record at 84 degrees along with little Rock at 78, Nashville at 76 and Cincinnati at 69.High temperatures for the South will remain 20 to 35 degrees above normal this week.More than 100 record warm highs and lows could be broken Tuesday and Wednesday with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s from Texas to the Carolinas.Early New Year's Eve forecastWhile New Year's Eve is still pretty far out for a accurate forecast, models are hinting at yet another system impacting the Pacific Northwest. By New Year's Eve night it should be winding down, but more rain and snow could impact the region. Rain could soak the Southwest as we ring in the New Year. From Southern California to Arizona, quite a bit of rain could fall on the holiday weekend.More snow is forecast for the Rockies as well. The eastern half of the country looks relatively quiet for New Year's Eve, aside from a few showers in the Southeast and some snow for northern New England. The temperature trend will be much as it is now, with warmer than normal temperatures across much of the East, and cooler temperatures in the West. New York City could even be on the mild side as temperatures could hit 50 degrees on New Year's Eve, with mainly dry conditions. By New Year's Day, all could change as we watch the potential for severe weather to set up across the Plains and the mid-South. It's still a little early to tell, but we could see the potential for strong to severe storms to impact the region on the first night of the new year. Temperatures will also begin to fall again for the areas that have been enjoying warmer than normal weather. The strong front that will bring rain and storms will also bring cooler weather for the start of 2022. CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett contributed to this weather column.

Allison Chinchar and Haley Brink, CNN Meteorologists

2021-11-30 09:30:47

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weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/30/weather/weather-2021-atlantic-hurricane-season/index.html

Atlantic hurricane season ends up as more costly than the record-breaking one in 2020 - CNN

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, just like the 2020 season, was one for the record books -- but for different reasons.

weather, Atlantic hurricane season ends up as more costly than the record-breaking one in 2020 - CNN

Atlantic hurricane season ends up as more costly than the record-breaking one in 2020

(CNN)The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, just like the 2020 season, was one for the record books -- but for different reasons. The biggest similarity was the high number of named storms. The 2021 season became only the third in history to use all of the names on the rotating seasonal list (the previous years were 2020 and 2005).We ended the season with 21 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). During an average year there would be 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. This year met or exceeded each of those categories, and it was forecast to be that way. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.There were four major hurricanes this season: Grace, Ida, Larry, and Sam. The strongest two were Ida and Sam, which both reached Category 4 strength. Grace and Larry peaked as Category 3 storms. The first half of the season was off to the races -- as the US was impacted by eight named storms: Claudette, Danny, Elsa, Fred, Henri, Ida, Mindy, and Nicholas.Read MoreThen, suddenly, the world's oceans became eerily quiet. After September 25 the Atlantic and the rest of the world would struggle to produce a named storm.That was not what meteorologists expected."The globe has had no major (Category 3+, max winds >=111 mph) hurricane/typhoon/cyclone formations since September 25. All other hurricane seasons in the satellite era (since 1966) have had at least two global major hurricane formations between September 26 - November 19," Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist at Colorado State University, said in a tweet. Both last year and this year La Niña conditions were observed during the last several weeks of the season, which typically favors late season tropical activity. 2020 saw three named storms in November (Eta, Theta, and Iota) and 2021 saw just one (Wanda) during the first few days.How this hurricane season ended marks one of the biggest differences between this year and last.Klotzbach explained that usually La Niña weakens or limits vertical wind shear, but surprisingly there was quite elevated wind shear in the Caribbean in October and November -- the focal region for storms late in the season -- and that led to a quiet latter part of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season.NOAA predicts 6th consecutive above-average hurricane seasonWhile an active season was predicted, it's impossible to know in advance exactly where each storm will go and what kind of damage it may cause. A "bad" season is all about perspective. Central American countries may consider this to have been a "good" year since not a single named storm hit any part of the region. In 2020, Central America was hit by three named storms, two of which were major hurricanes. In the US, the state of Louisiana can't seem to catch a break. In 2020, the Pelican State was impacted by five named storms: Cristobal, Laura, Marco, Delta and Zeta. This year the state was impacted by three named storms: Claudette, Ida and Nicholas.In 2020 more hurricanes made landfall in the US, but this year the storms cost over $20 billion more. Billions in damageWhile only one major hurricane made landfall across the US (Ida), a total of four named storms left behind over $1 billion in damage each: Tropical Storm Elsa, Tropical Storm Fred, Hurricane Ida, and Hurricane Nicholas.Ida alone exceeded the cost in damage of all seven billion-dollar tropical cyclones that made landfall across the US in 2020, including hurricanes like Laura, Delta, and Zeta."To date, Hurricane Ida is the costliest disaster this year -- exceeding $60 billion," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Ida already ranks among the top-five most costly hurricanes on record for the US since 1980."JUST WATCHEDThis Louisiana family lost their mom in Hurricane Ida. Here's why they aren't going anywhereReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHThis Louisiana family lost their mom in Hurricane Ida. Here's why they aren't going anywhere 03:28Ida was the strongest Atlantic hurricane of the year to make landfall with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph when it struck near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, on August 29. It was one of only three hurricanes to ever make landfall in the state of Louisiana with winds of 150 mph, the most recent being Laura from 2020. Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastThe stadium for the Somerset Patriots, a minor-league baseball team in Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, is partially flooded by overflow from the Raritan River on Thursday, September 2.Hide Caption 1 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA man wades through floodwaters in Manville, New Jersey, on September 2.Hide Caption 2 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastCommuters walk into a flooded subway station in New York City on September 2.Hide Caption 3 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastFirst responders rescue people who were trapped by floodwaters in Mamaroneck, New York, on September 2.Hide Caption 4 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA building in Queens, New York, is damaged on September 2.Hide Caption 5 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA person walks in floodwaters in Philadelphia on September 2.Hide Caption 6 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA United Automatic Fire Sprinkler employee helps clean up on September 2 after the business flooded in Woodland Park, New Jersey.Hide Caption 7 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA motorist drives on a flooded expressway in Brooklyn, New York, early on September 2, as the remnants of Hurricane Ida swept through the area.Hide Caption 8 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastPeople stand inside a subway station in New York City as water runs past their feet on Wednesday, September 1.Hide Caption 9 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastMembers of the New York City Fire Department rescue a woman from her stalled car on September 1.Hide Caption 10 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastMembers of the Weldon Fire Company walk through floodwaters in Dresher, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 11 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastPeople navigate heavy rains and flooded walkways at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on September 1.Hide Caption 12 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastWorkers clear a road from flooding in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 13 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastSergio Rossi, owner of Sergio Tailoring, covers flood-damaged clothing at his shop in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 14 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA downed tree blocks a road in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 15 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA tennis fan covers herself from rain as she attends a match at the US Open in New York on September 1. A second-round singles match between Kevin Anderson and Diego Schwartzman was halted early in the second set as water came through multiple openings of the roof on Louis Armstrong Stadium. The match was moved to the Arthur Ashe Stadium and completed just after 1 a.m. Thursday.Hide Caption 16 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastMembers of the Oakdale Fire Department clear debris from their station after heavy rains in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 17 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastRaindrops are illuminated by a camera flash near the US Capitol as Ida's remnants pass over Washington, DC, on September 1.Hide Caption 18 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA worker surveys damage in Annapolis, Maryland, on September 1.Hide Caption 19 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastDebris litters a park in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 20 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA man walks his dog in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 21 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastA house sits above floodwaters in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, on September 1.Hide Caption 22 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastWater is pumped from the basement of a business in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, during cleanup on September 1.Hide Caption 23 of 24 Photos: Ida's remnants wreak havoc in the EastPeople walk through heavy rain in New York's Times Square on September 1.Hide Caption 24 of 24"Grand Isle, Louisiana took a direct hit with 100% of its homes damaged and nearly 40% were nearly-to-completely destroyed," according to NOAA. "There was heavy damage to the energy infrastructure across southern Louisiana causing widespread, long duration power outages to millions of people."In the following days the remnants of Ida moved to the Northeast and combined with a frontal system, delivering extreme rainfall rates and flash flooding, inundating streets, homes and neighborhoods.Flash flood emergencies were declared in New Jersey and New York. At least 55 people died across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.This season's quirksThe strongest storm of the season didn't hit land but video was captured from inside it.Hurricane Sam, like Ida, also reached Category 4 strength with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Sam remained a Category 4 hurricane for 4.5 days and generated the fifth-highest accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) recorded in the satellite era."ACE is integrated metric accounting for storm intensity and duration," Klotzbach tweeted. "Sam was a long-lived, intense hurricane."Fortunately, unlike Ida, Sam remained out over the open waters of the Atlantic and never made landfall.Sam's long life, of over 11 days as a hurricane, allowed a research drone to be sailed into it, and, for the first time, to transmit video from inside a major hurricane at ocean level.JUST WATCHEDWatch how Hurricane Sam was filmed like never beforeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWatch how Hurricane Sam was filmed like never before 02:27A couple of other storms made some meteorological records.Tropical Storm Ana formed in a unique area of the Atlantic Ocean. In the last 100 years, no named storm had ever developed east of Bermuda in the month of May. Tropical Storm Ana broke that record. Typically, storms during this month form over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, western Caribbean Sea and near the southeastern US coast.Another unique storm was Subtropical Storm Teresa. Reports of subtropical storms are not uncommon, especially in the 21st century, thanks to advanced technology. What is uncommon is for a storm to remain subtropical for its entire life, never transitioning to "tropical" status. Teresa was also extremely short-lived, at only 24 hours. Subtropical Storm Teresa formed on Friday, September 24, at 5 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. Exactly 24 hours later, the NHC issued its final advisory as Teresa became a remnant, low-pressure system. Ida will likely be the only name on the retired list this year, despite there being three other major hurricanes, simply because of the amount of damage and fatalities caused. The letter "I" already has more retired names than any other letter in the alphabet. There are already 12 retired storm names that start with the letter "I", and Ida will likely become the 13th.

Rachel Ramirez and Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Photographs by Edmund D. Fountain for CNN

2021-09-06 22:43:11

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us

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/06/us/hurricane-ida-cancer-alley-pollution/index.html

What a hurricane means when you live in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' - CNN

Hurricane Ida threw Cancer Alley's high cancer and Covid-19 rates and underlying environmental health hazards, which come from the area's rampant pollution from fossil fuel industries, into harsh relief.

us, What a hurricane means when you live in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' - CNN

What a hurricane means when you live in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley'

(CNN)Milton Cayette Jr. was stuck in his home in St. James Parish after uprooted trees from Hurricane Ida blocked his driveway and damaged his front door. Cayette, who uses a wheelchair, called parish officials for help. They never came. Parish officials, however, told CNN that they did not receive calls that match Cayette's situation, adding that the government is "by law, not allowed to enter or conduct work on private property unless it is an emergency life saving measure." It wasn't until two days later when a group of volunteers from New Orleans came to saw and remove the trees that he was able to go outside."I've seen it all," Cayette, a retired industry worker, told CNN. "After Hurricane Betsy in 1965, the chemical plants started building and operating. A lot of them. It all changed."About 50 miles away in St. John the Baptist Parish, Robert Taylor Jr., executive director of Concerned Citizens of St. John, said many residents were trapped in their attics after the storm while others witnessed their roofs being ripped off by Ida.The lack of emergency response after the hurricane, Taylor said, is just another example of the neglect the community has long suffered. Residents say the government failed to prepare the community for the storm by not issuing an evacuation order earlier or assisting poor and vulnerable residents who could not manage to flee their homes, like Cayette.Read More"The government is obviously failing us and not protecting us," said Taylor, who evacuated from St. John before Hurricane Ida hit. "And this just pushed it over the top."Milton Cayette Jr. was stuck in his home for two days before fallen trees could be cleared.The predominantly Black community of St. John and the nearly majority Black population of St. James sit at the heart of Louisiana's "Cancer Alley," the 85-mile stretch between New Orleans and Baton Rouge that's home to more than 150 chemical plants and oil refineries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's 2019 environmental justice data, eight of the nation's top 14 block groups — census areas that typically contain 600 to 3,000 people — with the country's estimated highest cancer risks are in St. John.Until recently, Cayette, who has lived in the region for 70 years and previously worked at a nearby petrochemical plant, never connected the growth of the chemical industry to the region's suddenly high cancer rates. But then his wife died of breast cancer a few years ago -- and he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer on top of his diabetes. Now, he lives alone with the sight of industrial facilities looming outside his window. "I was mad and disappointed at the government," Cayette said about the lack of response after Ida. "What concerned me even more is that I'm disabled, but they couldn't come to help."For decades, scientists have claimed the planet has been rapidly warming because of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from the burning of fossil fuels. Days after Ida ravaged the homes of vulnerable residents in Louisiana and Mississippi, the EPA released an analysis concluding that racial and ethnic minority communities disproportionately suffer the most severe consequences of climate change, indicating they are the least able to prepare for, and recover from, extreme climate events such as pollution, flooding and heat waves.People work to repair a roof in Norco, Louisiana.If the planet reaches the critical warming threshold of 2 degrees Celsius -- which most countries are careening toward unless they drastically cut emitting greenhouse gases from fossil fuels -- the report warns that Black people are projected to face the worst impacts of the climate crisis."It's absolutely an insult that the companies that are responsible for this are also the ones that are driving climate change," Naomi Yoder, staff scientist at the Healthy Gulf, a group working to restore natural resources in the region, told CNN. "They're also one of the biggest drivers of land loss in Louisiana, which makes the effects of hurricanes worse."Compounding crises during a pandemicThe coronavirus pandemic has also hit both parishes especially hard. In April 2020, St. John had the highest death rate per capita for Covid-19 in the United States, surpassing even the most densely populated urban hotspots. Around that time in St. James, the Covid-19 death rate was also five times higher than the overall national death rate.The Holy Rosary Cemetery in Hahnville, Louisiana, sits next to a Dow chemical plant.More than a year later, with the pandemic persisting, Category 4 Hurricane Ida threw the area's high cancer and Covid-19 rates and underlying environmental health hazards, which come from the area's rampant pollution from fossil fuel industries, into harsh relief."It's just risk on top of risk on top of risk," Kimberly Terrell, director of community engagement at the Tulane University Environmental Law Clinic, told CNN. "There's always air pollution coming out of industrial facilities, and these communities have been burdened with that for decades."The Rev. Lionel Murphy, pastor of Tchoupitoulas Chapel in St. John, said the storm left devastating damage to his church along with homes and other buildings in the parish, exacerbating the emotional and physical toll that air pollution and health disparities have placed on communities."If only we can get some attention," Murphy said, referring to public officials and emergency responders. "The people are going to leave and come back, but this storm aggravates so much else because Covid is pretty strong in St. John."The Tchoupitoulas Chapel in St. John was damaged by Hurricane Ida.In the early months of the pandemic, Harvard's school of public health released a preliminary study showing a link between fine particulate matter, also known as PM 2.5 pollution, and increased mortality rates from Covid-19. Terrell wanted to know what that meant for Louisiana, particularly in Cancer Alley. After scraping the raw data from the Harvard study and performing her own analysis, she found that the highest death rates from Covid-19 and a majority of PM 2.5 concentrations were in Cancer Alley.Ida added another layer of affliction by destroying houses and forcing residents to emergency shelters or relatives' homes, where they may be clustered together with potential for increased Covid-19 transmission."It seems like these communities are just continually burdened with risks that they didn't ask for, and don't deserve to be burdened with," Terrell said.The current 7-day average is more than 42 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in St. John and more than 177 new cases per 100,000 in St. James, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes St. John and St. James as a community with high levels of Covid-19 transmission.Many residents across Louisiana are still enduring power outages.Taylor said he worries that residents who have been sickened by cancer as well as Covid-19 won't get the medical care they need after having to evacuate because of Ida's impacts. Some are being transported to shelters where they could potentially spread Covid-19 or even contract it, he said, echoing Terrell's concern.Prior to Ida, at least 16% of residents in St. James Parish and St. John Parish were living below the poverty line, according to Census data."This is a mess," Taylor told CNN. "I don't see how poor people are expected to survive this."Living next to an industrial facilityThe proliferation of petrochemical facilities and oil refineries throughout Cancer Alley has become a familiar sight to residents along the industrial corridor. Cayette said he remembers industrial facilities emerging after Category 4 Hurricane Betsy pummeled the region in 1965. But it was only recently that residents began to realize the invisible danger the industry caused on public health and the ironic effects it has on the climate. When a hurricane is barreling toward an industry-heavy region, petrochemical facilities and oil refineries typically begin to shutter their plants, which involves burning anywhere from hundreds to millions of pounds of hazardous materials. As part of emergency shutdown procedures, these facilities emit or burn various unprocessed chemicals and gases through a process known as flaring. Oftentimes, Yoder said, the emissions continue to escape even after the hurricane has knocked out power lines. A damaged trailer is seen in Reserve, Louisiana, a town in St. John the Baptist Parish."This is not something new to these communities, and it's not necessarily even unique to a disaster situation," Terrell said of refineries emitting toxic compounds. "It seems like consistently the people who are breathing these toxins are the last to find out about it."In St. Charles Parish, for instance, a Shell Norco manufacturing complex has been spewing residual gases as residents pick through the rubble of Hurricane Ida's aftermath. After the storm, the EPA contacted Shell about the excessive smoke and reports of noxious gas coming out of its refinery. In a report, officials noted that Shell is conducting "community air monitoring" and "looking at all options to try to reduce emissions to flare.""While the site is safe and secure, we are experiencing elevated flaring due to a lack of steam generation," Curtis Smith, a Shell spokesperson, told CNN. "Crews are working around the clock to complete repairs and we are making good progress on minimizing flaring until power is restored."In St. James Parish, residents like Sharon Lavigne have been fighting new petrochemical plants attempting to set up shop in their community. Five years ago, Lavigne was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. Blood tests revealed that she had aluminum inside her body, which she later blamed on the slew of industrial facilities after attending a few environmental justice workshops.Sharon Lavigne's home was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ida.Angered by what she learned about the industry growing in her backyard, Lavigne founded RISE St. James, a faith-based environmental justice group trying to stop any new industrial development in Cancer Alley, which Cayette is also a member of.One of their biggest fights was against the Taiwanese plastics manufacturer Formosa, which was set to build a $9.4 billion petrochemical complex in St. James Parish. Not only do Formosa's own models show that their mammoth facility could emit more of the cancer-causing compound ethylene oxide than just about any other facility in the country, but their chosen location also happens to sit on two former 19th-century sugarcane plantations and a slave burial ground, according to a legal complaint filed against the facility."My grandparents lived on this land. They bought this land and lived on it," Lavigne told CNN. "And then when I got married, I built a house on this land."And while Formosa tried to push ahead with its construction during the pandemic, RISE St. James fought hard to block the company, delaying the construction further. The US Army Corps of Engineers early this year ordered Formosa to conduct a new environmental review of the petrochemical facility, thanks to legal complaints, protests and lawsuits from environmental groups like RISE St. James.While the battle to block the multibillion-dollar facility isn't over, Hurricane Ida added to the community's problems. The storm tore Lavigne's roof and caused her ceiling to collapse, just like it did to many other houses in the parish.A sign protesting the planned Formosa plant is seen next to a downed tree on Sharon Lavigne's property."So many of us suffered damages from Ida," Lavigne said, "so after RISE members rebuild, we're going to help the rest of the community."Cancer Alley has faced many disasters, but none as challenging as a hurricane, air pollution and pandemic happening at once. To Cayette and Lavigne, living next to industrial facilities is a death sentence. It may take years for the community to recover, but Lavigne said they've been victorious before. As long as the fossil fuel industry continues to warm the planet and pollute their backyards, she said grassroots organizations will keep fighting. "People tell me they're glad we're fighting the industry," she said. "Many tell me they can't be out there to help me, but they're praying for me. That was nice."

Allison Chinchar, CNN Meteorologist

2021-09-19 08:42:40

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/19/weather/weather-hurricane-hunter-flights/index.html

Here's why hurricane hunters fly their planes in weird patterns into storms - CNN

Those seemingly random hurricane hunter flight patterns to sample hurricanes look like boxes or stars, but they serve a purpose

weather, Here's why hurricane hunters fly their planes in weird patterns into storms - CNN

Here's why hurricane hunters fly their planes in weird patterns into storms

(CNN)The second half of hurricane season is here and there have already been 17 named storms to keep hurricane hunters busy. But have you ever noticed hurricane hunters' flight patterns shown by meteorologists on TV look like random, odd shapes?Those flight patterns may look like boxes or stars, but they serve specific purposes for each individual storm.Hurricane hunters don't fly away from these storms like commercial airlines do. They fly directly into them, but they don't just fly into and around the storms randomly. There is a method to the madness. There are two distinctive groups of hurricane hunters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Air Force Reserve (USAF). Both organizations fly missions into tropical disturbances in order to record invaluable data used by forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC).For the Hurricane Hunters, there are two main types of missions flown, fixed and invest.Read MoreFixed missionsFixed missions are designated for systems that meet tropical cyclone qualifications, such as tropical depressions, tropical storms, and hurricanes. The main objective is to mark the center of circulation, monitor winds speeds and pressure changes, and other variables that are tricky for satellites in space to measure in full detail.For fixed missions, 'Alpha' is most common flight pattern used to collect data in a tropical cyclone. "The Alpha pattern is the standard profile we fly for fix missions so it's the one people are most familiar with seeing from us," Maj. Jeremy DeHart, meteorologist and aerial reconnaissance weather officer with the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, said. "The pattern consists of two legs flown at intercardinal directions, and when complete, looks a lot like the Greek Alpha symbol when including the crossleg." Cardinal directions are the standard points on a compass: north, south, east, and west. Intercardinal directions are the diagonal points in between: northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. Latest VDM from @53rdWRS mission indicates Hurricane #Larry no longer has a defined eyewall and the central pressure rose 3-4 mb between passes. Clear weakening trend. pic.twitter.com/0d9WiDTXVb— Jeremy DeHart (@JeremyDeHart53d) September 7, 2021 Interestingly, the bigger, stronger storms tend to be the "easier" ones to fly in. "From my perspective as the onboard meteorologist, the Alpha pattern is the "easiest" to fly. Because we normally fly those on stronger storms, there's not a lot of question where the storm center is," DeHart said. "The flights can be rough of course, but at the end of the day we just go fly through the storm center, collect the data, and send it to NHC."Invest missionsThe primary objective of an invest mission is to determine if a system meets the definition of a tropical cyclone; storms that do not yet have a name or any real tropical structure characteristics. Inside the eye of a hurricane from above 1,000 feetFor invest missions, the NHC will often send estimated coordinates of where they believe the center of circulation is, which is where the missions will target for their starting point. However, invest missions by nature have to be a bit more flexible for flight patterns, simply because there are so many unknowns with these types of storms. "We never know what we're going to find, yet we always have to be thinking two or three steps ahead. So that really makes us need to think about the meteorology [in each particular storm]," DeHart said. "Is it a closed low or an open wave? Maybe it's closed but just elongated? Is it battling shear? Are there several smaller swirls competing to be the main circulation center? Weak storms and invests can be very tricky and require a lot of thinking on our toes."Air Force Hurricane Hunters have a variety of flight patterns to choose from for invest missions: X, Delta, and Box, just to name a few.DeHart explains the missions are ideal for the weaker, more uncertain storms. While the X pattern may resemble the Alpha pattern, it is flown at much lower altitudes, usually around 500 to 1,000 feet. "Once a system becomes a tropical storm or hurricane, the hurricane hunters begin flying at higher altitudes, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 feet depending on the severity of the storm," said Jessica Kendziorek, public affairs operations chief with the USAF 403rd Wing.Flight levels for the Delta and Box patterns are usually at or below 5,000 ft absolute altitude."The Delta and Box patterns are similar in that we'll fly around the periphery of the forecast center seeing if we can observe winds in all four quadrants of the storm that would indicate a closed circulation. If we find a closed circulation, we can confidently go [find] the center; if not, we'll continue the mission in 'invest mode'," DeHart said.NOAA focuses on researchNOAA Hurricane Hunters also fly operational fixed and invest missions (though the names may be different), but they usually have more research-oriented objectives. They fly many unique flight patterns, with different types of aircraft, depending on what type of mission is assigned.Hurricane Hunters also fly a third type of mission, which the Air Force rarely flies, according to DeHart, called synoptic missions. For fixed missions NOAA often flies a Figure 4, Rotated Figure 4 pattern, or a Butterfly pattern. "The Butterfly and Figure 4 patterns flown by the WP-3D through the storm are typically the ones used to [find] the center of circulation," said Jonathan Shannon, public affairs specialist for the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center Office of Marine and Aviation Operations.The Rotated Figure 4 pattern is as it sounds; the Figure 4 pattern turned on side."The goal with every flight is to gather data all around the center of the storm, and those patterns allow us to efficiently fly through a storm's various quadrants," Nick Underwood, NOAA Hurricane Hunter, said. "This data helps with predicting a storm's intensity, as well as determining exactly where the center is." For invest missions, the Lawnmower and Square Spiral patterns are flown, to determine if there are actual tropical characteristics associated with the area in which they are investigating."The Lawnmower Pattern allows us to map out a large area when we don't have a center to aim for," Paul Flaherty, science branch chief at NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center, said. "Once we are able to map a full circulation (usually by finding a west wind), we'll shift back to Figure 4's based on that newly identified center position."The Square Spiral pattern is a survey mission meant to supply observations on the structure and characteristics including information about the vortex center, if it exists. There is a unique third type of mission flight pattern, often used to sample the surrounding atmosphere which helps forecasters know the direction the storm is likely to go.The Star 1 pattern focuses on a scan of the outer edges of the system. The closely-related Star 2 pattern also does an outer scan of the system, while also adding in a circumference loop near the center of circulation.Recently, NOAA's Gulfstream IV flew a Star-2 pattern around Hurricane Larry, to investigate outflow patterns from the storm and better determine where the storm was headed."The flight pattern you'll typically see from our Gulfstream IV is a circumnavigation of the storm itself, as well as sampling of the atmosphere around and ahead of the storm," Underwood said. "This data helps with predicting the storm's track."Regardless of which entity is flying, the operational missions are the backbone for the National Hurricane Center, tasked with providing essential life-saving information about a storm.The NHC takes the data and uses it to issue guidance and advisories to the public, so people know whether Elsa or Ida or Nicholas are still tropical storms or have become hurricanes.We ended 2020 with a record-breaking 30 named storms in the Atlantic basin and if this season is anything like last year, we have a long way to go.

Rachel Ramirez, Pedram Javaheri and Drew Kann, CNN

2021-06-17 11:52:12

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/us/lake-mead-drought-water-shortage-climate/index.html

Lake Mead water shortage: The shocking numbers behind the crisis - CNN

The Lake Mead reservoir is poised to become the focal point of one of the country's most significant climate crises: water shortages in the West.

us, Lake Mead water shortage: The shocking numbers behind the crisis - CNN

The shocking numbers behind the Lake Mead drought crisis

(CNN)The United States' largest reservoir is draining rapidly. Plagued by extreme, climate change-fueled drought and increasing demand for water, Lake Mead on Wednesday registered its lowest level on record since the reservoir was filled in the 1930s. Lake Mead, a Colorado River reservoir just east of Las Vegas on the Nevada-Arizona border, is poised to become the focal point of one of the country's most significant climate crises: water shortages in the West. Millions of people will be affected in the coming years and decades by the Colorado River shortage alone, researchers say, with some being forced to make painful water cuts.It's not a threat on the horizon; new projections show the first-ever water shortage along the Colorado River is all but certain to be declared later this year."Even without climate change, we would have a problem because we're taking more water out than the river could provide," John Fleck, director of the Water Resources Program at the University of New Mexico, told CNN. "But climate change has made the problem much worse by substantially reducing the flow in the river."Lake Mead is around 143 feet below 'full,' a deficit roughly the height of the Statue of LibertyRead MoreThe water in Lake Mead on Wednesday reached a new low — 1070.6 feet above sea level — since it was filled in the 1930's, according to data provided by the US Bureau of Reclamation. More precisely, every day for the past eight days has been a record as rapid evaporation and human use siphon water from the reservoir.The lake has fallen around 143 feet below its 2000 level, when it was last considered full. What's left is a "bathtub ring" of white minerals as tall as Lady Liberty along the lake's steep shoreline.As water drains from Lake Mead, a "bathtub ring" of minerals is left on the shore, showing its decline. The height of the ring in June was roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty without its base.About a century ago, representatives from seven U.S. states — Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico — struck a deal to divvy up the Colorado River. Hydrologists warned that officials were promising more water than the river could give, according to Fleck. But in an era driven by power and politics, their warnings were largely ignored and plans moved forward. 25,000,000 people rely on Lake Mead waterThat's more than the population of Florida.Snaking its way through the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, the flows of the Colorado River are dwindling due to climate change-driven heat and drought. Among the hardest hit in the first round of water cuts will be agricultural communities, particularly those in central Arizona. With less water, farmers say they will be forced to fallow land.This area of dry, cracked earth used to be underwater near where the marina was once located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.Native American communities are also impacted, Fleck said: "A number of tribal communities across the Colorado River Basin have been promised some water that they don't have yet."The last time Lake Mead was considered full was 2000Twenty one years ago Lake Mead peaked at an elevation of 1,214 feet. The highest recorded level was in 1983 when it was 1,225 feet above sea level. Experts say it may never be full again. Lake Mead is now at 36 percent capacity — a number that will continue to fall as the reservoir's rapid decline continues to outpace projections from just a few months earlier. Water levels are projected to drop another 20 feet by 2022. "This [rapid decline] scares me," said Fleck. "It's dropping so fast that it may be overreaching our ability to cope with the problems. I did not anticipate the bottom to drop this quickly, and we're only talking about Lake Mead."Lake Mead has lost 5.5 trillion gallons of water since thenThat is more than 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools lost every day for nearly 22 years.When Fleck visited Lake Mead 10 years ago it was 13 feet higher than the current level. Even then, he recalled being terrified by the rapid water loss.He visited every year since then and has seen the physical changes around Lake Mead firsthand. The "bathtub ring" is a visible reminder of where the water levels once peaked. The lake loses around 6 feet of water to evaporation each yearAnd climate change is making that worse. As temperatures warm, the snowmelt that supplies the river decreases and more water evaporates, especially during extreme heat waves like the West is experiencing this week.Six feet of water is an average loss of 300 billion gallons per year on top of the water withdrawn for human use and power generation. About 40 percent of the annual evaporation occurs in June, July and August — enough to supply water to 75,000 Las Vegas Valley homes for 12 months.Excessive heat waves can easily account for more than 10 billion gallons of evaporated water this week alone. That's enough water to fill 15,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Hoover Dam power generation is down 25 percent due to low water levelsThe Hoover Dam, which forms the Lake Mead reservoir, produces about 2,000 megawatts of hydropower — enough electricity for nearly 8 million Americans. The Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s to create Lake Mead. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California.But with less water flowing through Hoover Dam, its capacity has been closer to 1,500 megawatts in recent weeks, a drop of roughly 25 percent. The decline affects several states, including California, Arizona, and Nevada, all of which get their energy from the Hoover Dam. If the lake loses another 175 feet, water will no longer flow through the Hoover DamExperts say the "dead pool" level is at 895 feet, at which point water no longer passes through the Hoover Dam, thus cutting it off for everyone downstream. "What we need to do is recognize the science behind this reality and that this does not get better," Fleck said. "We're all going to have to deal with less and collaborate on a new set of numbers that reflects the reality of the science today."90 percent of Las Vegas's water comes from Lake MeadLas Vegas has been preparing for the worst-case scenario for years. The city draws water from two underwater intake structures near the western shore of the lake. But they are becoming unusable as the water level drops beneath them.Pipes from an abandoned water intake tower are shown at Lake Mead on June 12, 2021.In 2015, the city built another intake, also known as the "third straw," as a last-ditch effort to keep Lake Mead's water flowing. The more than $800 million structure is essentially a three-mile long tunnel that would suck water directly from the bottom of Lake Mead."There's a risk when [water managers] cling to the hope of a big snowpack bailing us out," Fleck said. "We need to recognize that there's going to be less water to work with."

John Keefe, Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez, CNN

2021-06-17 13:29:18

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/17/weather/west-california-drought-maps/index.html

Maps of historic drought in West - CNN

Vast swaths of the West are experiencing a historic, unrelenting drought, the worst in the region in at least 20 years.

weather, Maps of historic drought in West - CNN

The West's historic drought in 3 maps

(CNN)The Western US experienced extreme drought this year that severely strained water resources and primed the landscape for perilous wildfires.In California, this summer's drought was the most extreme in the state's entire 126-year record, with July 2021 as the driest month ever since data gathering began in 1895. Across the region, the magnitude of the drought hovered at or above 90% since June, with several states entirely in drought. On the Colorado River, Lake Mead and Lake Powell — two of the country's largest reservoirs — have been draining at alarming rates, threatening the West's water supply and hydropower generation in coming years. In California, a hydroelectric power plant at Lake Oroville was forced to shut down due to low water levels for the first time since it opened in 1967. In other parts of the state, thieves broke into secure water stations, tapped into fire hydrants and threatened farmers to steal water. And in Oregon, a reservoir shutdown pitted communities against one another, with a rural farming group threatening to take water back by force. As heat waves killed hundreds of people and wildfires leveled towns, the drought pitted ranchers against a prolific hoard of grasshoppers that tore through foliage and left little for cattle.Read MoreScientists say the West's historic, multi-year drought is a clear sign of how the climate crisis is affecting not only the weather, but also communities' water supply, food production, electricity generation and livelihoods. Drought map T.J. Atkin's family has been in the cattle ranching business for nearly a century. He carried on the legacy as a rancher and now operates two properties in Utah and northwest Arizona, both of which experienced severe drought this summer. Since the family business started, he said, a drought has never hit their operations as hard as it did this year.A ranch is running out of water in the West's historic drought. 'In 85 years, it's not been this bad.'"Everyone else I've talked to says in 85 years, it has not been this bad," Atkin told CNN in June. "We have 85 years' worth of our own drought data that says we've never done this ... not to this extent."Climate researchers say two major factors contributed to this summer's severe drought in the West: the lack of precipitation and an increase in evaporative demand, also known as the "thirst of the atmosphere." Warmer temperatures increase the amount of water the atmosphere can absorb, which then dries out the landscape.This summer may just be a preview of what's to come: Global scientists reported in August that because of the climate crisis, droughts that may have occurred only once every decade or so now happen 70% more frequently. The findings reflect recent data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which found that drought months in the West are becoming the new normal, with rainy months coming fewer and farther between. Interactive: The Colorado River's shortage is a sign of a larger crisis In August, the US Bureau of Reclamation declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering mandatory water consumption cuts for states in the Southwest beginning in 2022. The following month, it announced there's a 3% chance Lake Powell could drop below the minimum level needed to allow the lake's Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydroelectricity next year. In 2023, the chance of a shutdown grows to 34%, according to the bureau's projection.There is also a 66% chance that Lake Mead could drop below the critical threshold of 1,025 feet above sea level in 2025, the bureau said. If water levels stay below that critical threshold, it would trigger deep water cuts, potentially affecting millions of people in California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico.As the planet warms, drought and extreme heat will also fuel deadly wildfires. Multiple studies have linked rising carbon dioxide emissions and high temperatures to increased acreage of burning across the West, particularly in California.Rainfall outlook Scientists say heat and drought are inextricably linked in a vicious feedback loop that climate change makes even harder to break: heat exacerbates the drought, which in turn amps up the heat. As temperatures surged to the triple digits this summer, the sun baked out what little moisture there was left in the ground. The need for precipitation was dire this year. Years of low rainfall and more intense heat waves have fed directly to this summer's drought conditions and water shortages. The West is caught in a vicious climate change feedback loopWhat the West Coast needed were the strong storms that draw moisture from the Pacific Ocean, often referred to as atmospheric rivers. These storms are crucial in determining whether California is going to end up in drought. And in the last two years before this summer, only one such storm brought precipitation to California last winter. Then in October, California and parts of the Pacific Northwest got a taste of the rain it was looking for. Because of the recent rain, the Drought Monitor noted that much of the West is now experiencing long-term drought conditions, rather than both short- and long-term drought. In the Southwest, were the summer rain brought some relief, researchers at NOAA say that the drought there will get worse with La Niña — a natural phenomenon marked by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean near the equator, which causes shifts in weather across the globe. La Niña typically causes the jet stream — upper-level winds that carry storms around the globe — to shift north away from the Southwest. That means less rainfall for a region that desperately needs it.As climate change accelerates and winter temperatures increase, snowfall will decrease. High-elevation snowpack serves as a natural reservoir that eases drought, storing water through the winter months and slowly releasing it through the spring melting season.Stream and river flow Streamflow, a measure of how much water is carried by rivers and streams, is another significant indicator of drought and its impact. Changes in streamflow affect the water supply for municipal use such as drinking and bathing, crop irrigation and power generation. As drought conditions have worsened in 2021, hundreds of stream and river locations experienced below-average flow. Fishing restrictions have also been put in place on many rivers in Montana due to low flows and warm waters. In Oregon and California, long-term drought conditions have adversely affected salmon populations and migratory birds, according to the Drought Monitor. But now that the rainy season has begun, soil moisture and streamflows in the West are improving, particularly in the central and northern Great Basin, including in parts of Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, which have been entirely in drought throughout the summer. Meanwhile, snowpack has also started to form across the northern Rockies as well as the Cascades, and even into parts of the Sierra Nevada, "but it is still early in the season to reap the benefits," the Drought Monitor previously noted.Still, according to a NOAA report published in October on the Southwest's historic drought, the current drought could last into 2022 — or potentially longer."More widely, my guess is that for much of the West, the current extent and magnitude of this drought is locked in until at least mid-2022," Justin Mankin, assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College and co-lead of NOAA's Drought Task Force, previously told CNN."Global warming is making the atmosphere over the West warmer and thirstier, such that even the rain and snow that was once normal may be too little to quench it," Mankin said. CNN's Brandon Miller, Aya Elamroussi, and Stephanie Elam contributed to this report.

Pedram Javaheri, Judson Jones and Hannah Gard, CNN

2021-06-16 15:14:26

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/weather/west-heat-wave-records-drought-climate/index.html

Heat wave in West, made worse by climate change, continues through the week - CNN

A potentially lethal heat wave is affecting more than 40 million people in the US this week.

weather, Heat wave in West, made worse by climate change, continues through the week - CNN

An eighth of the US population is sweltering under a record-breaking heat dome. Climate change is making it worse

(CNN)With upwards of 300 record-high temperatures in jeopardy this week, more than an eighth of the US population -- over 40 million people -- are on alert across the western US for a long-lasting, potentially lethal heat wave. "No easy way to say this, so we'll just cut straight to the chase: it's going to be *very* hot for a *long time*," tweeted the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City in the lead-up to this historic heat wave.This heat wave and the exceptional drought in the Southwest are part of a damaging feedback loop enhanced by climate change, experts say. The hotter it gets, the drier it gets; the drier it gets, the hotter it gets."When it comes to extreme weather, climate change is loading the weather dice against us," Katharine Hayhoe, a climate researcher and the chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, told CNN Weather in an email. "We always have a chance of extreme heat, particularly in the summer: but as the world warms, we see that summer heatwaves are coming earlier, lasting longer, and are becoming hotter and more intense."The Southwest is caught under a heat dome Read MoreOn Tuesday, Salt Lake City recorded its third consecutive day of triple-digit heat, setting both daily and all-time records along the way. The city soared to a high of 107 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, tying its all-time record high, previously reached in the month of July.For some perspective, records in Salt Lake City date back to 1874. In that time, there have been over 50,000 calendar days of temperatures observed. Tuesday marks only the third time the city has ever soared to 107 degrees, roughly a 1 in 50 year event.[5:43 PM] 107°F. We have now tied the highest temperature EVER recorded at Salt Lake City in any month of the year, in the last 147 years of records. It has only happened twice before: July 2002 and July 1960. #utwx pic.twitter.com/lySLjV748q— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) June 15, 2021 The cause is a massive ridge of high pressure, commonly referred to as a heat dome, that is rapidly gaining strength over the western US. A combination of sinking air, clear skies and lengthy solar radiation will send temperatures as much as 10 to 25 degrees above seasonal values this week.This ridge is also responsible for the unrelenting drought, as it directs rain away from the region.In a heat dome, high pressure acts as a lid on the atmosphere and as hot air tries to escape, the lid forces it back down, warming even more as it sinks. "The hotter it gets, the stronger the ridge," said Hayhoe. "So while climate change may not be responsible for the ridge forming, it can make it last longer and be stronger than it would be otherwise, which makes the drought more intense and longer."Amid a historic drought and the lowest water level on record in nearby Lake Mead, the state of Nevada will also be challenging its all-time record high this week, currently held by the town of Laughlin, which reached 125 degrees on June 29, 1994. Highs in Laughlin are forecast to be between 120 and 122 from Wednesday to Sunday; the average this time of year is 106 degrees. Widespread triple-digit records are being observed as far north as Idaho and Montana. On Tuesday, Billings, Montana, soared to 105 degrees, matching the hottest weather ever seen in June while obliterating the daily record of 98 degrees, which stood for over 30 years. As the week progresses, so does the long duration heat wave. More records in jeopardyOn Wednesday afternoon, the city of Las Vegas will be knocking on the doorsteps of history as highs are forecast to reach 116 degrees, just 1 degree shy of the city's all-time record of 117 degrees. That's benchmark that has only been achieved four times since records began in 1937.Check the forecast highs for these cities and yoursNot too far away in Phoenix, where residents are well accustomed to oppressive heat, the mercury is forecast to impress even by Phoenician standards. Highs this time of year typically settle in around 105 degrees. The average first 115-degree day generally arrives during the first week of July. However, with summer officially four days away, high temperatures in Phoenix soared to a record of 115 degrees on Tuesday. The heat wave will continue through the week's end. In fact, forecast models indicate that they may reach or exceed 115 degrees every day from Wednesday through Friday. This would tie the all-time record for most consecutive 115 degree days in Phoenix at four days. Perhaps not surprisingly, in the summer of 2020, the city reached 115 degrees on four successive days on two separate occasions. In the US, five of the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 2012, and the broader trend signals little change.There have always been heat waves but they are getting worseThere have always been heat waves, droughts, wildfires and more, well before humans started changing climate. What scientists are increasingly beginning to say, explains Hayhoe, is how much worse climate change is making these events. "Scientists are starting to be able to say 'a lot!' and even to answer this question with numbers for specific events," she said.One of Arizona's largest wildfires continues to grow as heat and dry conditions grip the West"For example, scientists have found that climate change made the 2019 European heatwave 10 times more likely, and the Siberian heatwave of June 2020 600 times more likely."In the future, heat waves and drought will likely worsen, Hayhoe said. Particularly in areas already naturally at risk from drought.Ironically, climate change will also make heavy rain events more frequent. "Which isn't good news either," explains Hayhoe. "It can be damaging, and it makes it hard to replenish soil water and groundwater depleted during a drought when rain falls in heavy downpours as most of it just runs off."The future looks different than the records of the past. "We can no longer rely on the past as a reliable predictor for future conditions, as we've been doing for hundreds and even thousands of years," Hayhoe said. "Instead, we must prepare for conditions that are hotter and droughts that are more damaging than we've seen before."

Opinion by John D. Sutter Video by McKenna Ewen and Gabe Ramirez, CNN

2021-04-12 11:35:42

news

opinions

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/12/opinions/climate-migration-in-america-california-duluth-sutter/index.html

Opinion: As people flee climate change on the coasts, this Midwest city is trying to become a safe haven - CNN

After visiting Tracy, a woman in California who is ready to flee her dream house to escape wildfires and other effects of climate catastrophe, John Sutter traveled halfway across the country, to Duluth, Minnesota to try to answer her question: Where can she go? Is anywhere safe? It turns out, Tracy isn't alone in asking the question.

opinions, Opinion: As people flee climate change on the coasts, this Midwest city is trying to become a safe haven - CNN

As people flee climate change on the coasts, this Midwest city is trying to become a safe haven

John D. Sutter is a CNN contributor, National Geographic Explorer and MIT science journalism fellow. He is director of the forthcoming BASELINE documentary series, which is visiting four locations on the front lines of the climate crisis every five years until 2050. Visit the project's website. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN. Rough-and-Ready, California (CNN) (CNN)Tracy thought she'd built her forever home. She and her 5-year-old granddaughter live in an energy-efficient house in Northern California that Tracy designed — by a pond that's frequented by otters, ducks and herons (oh my!). John D. SutterThen came the fires, the smoke, the evacuations, the days when the sky turned red and they were unable to see the sun. It was terrifying, she said. Understandably. And it's poised to get worse because of the climate crisis, which is contributing to longer and more dangerous wildfires in the West as humans dump fossil fuel pollution into the atmosphere. Because of this, Tracy made the difficult decision to leave. Then came more questions that seemed even trickier. Where to go? Read MoreIs anywhere safe from the climate emergency? She left CNN a voicemail about the conundrum. (She did that as part of an ongoing series of mine that's called "Let's talk about the climate apocalypse.") "The big question I have is: If not here, where?" she said.Feeling a little bit like a climate journalist (which I am) and a little bit like an annoying HGTV host (which I am not — yet?), I went on a quest to try to answer that question for Tracy. I had a hunch that she wasn't alone in asking this question. The last several years have shown the degree to which human carbon emissions already are shaping reality: more-frequent wildfires raging in California, rapidly intensifying hurricanes pounding the Gulf of Mexico, sea levels rising on the Atlantic and droughts become more severe in the West. I'm sure there are plenty Americans asking themselves if home will ever feel safe. I've done pretty extensive reporting on climate-induced migration — including from Honduras, Puerto Rico or the Marshall Islands, where people tend to be thinking less about where they will move to and more about the climate disasters that are pushing them out. But I have to admit: I haven't thought much about where people should go. Or about who's able to move and why. Tracy knows she is privileged to be able to plan this move and to have the resources to make it comfortably — to choose while others are forcibly displaced. Her house is still standing and in good shape. The fires came to a nearby ridge, but not to her pond or land. JUST WATCHEDTracy called CNN to say she doesn't feel safe where she lives.ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTracy called CNN to say she doesn't feel safe where she lives. 08:11Rather than pretending the fire risks will recede, or waiting for a fire to come and force her out, she is facing harsh realities and trying to make what I would consider a wise decision — one that, for her, focuses on her granddaughter's future. When this happens at the community level, climate adaptation specialists call it "managed retreat." Without government programs to help people relocate out of harm's way (there are very few, and they're not scaled appropriately), climate migration will only widen gaping inequalities in this country. Some can choose to move. Others will be left to fend for themselves. It's the scattered, diffuse successor to the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, the Great Migration of Black Americans from the South in the 1900s and of White flight to the suburbs in the 1970s. And it usually happens with little discussion. In taking up Tracy's question, I had my own. Were there other people like her? And if so, where were they moving? 'Climate refuge' One of my first calls was to Jesse Keenan of Tulane University, who studies the movement of people and the ways we're adapting to climate risks. In recent years, Keenan and other researchers, including A.R. Siders and Mathew Hauer, have been raising awareness about how the climate crisis will force people to move. The scale is far greater than most people realize. "This is on the scale of the great Dust Bowl and the migration that came along with that," Keenan told me. "There are too many unknowns" to fully quantify the scope of climate-induced migration, he said, "but we do recognize that this is in the order of millions of people."Jesse Keenan, an associate professor and social scientist at Tulane University's School of Architecture, has identified Duluth, Minnesota, as a potential climate safe haven. The World Bank, for example, estimates that more than 140 million people could become internally displaced by the climate crisis in coming decades — and their assessment only includes a few regions of the world. The rise in sea levels alone (which does not account for Tracy's situation, fleeing fire or other climate calamities like floods) is expected to displace 13 million people in the US by 2100, according to Hauer's research published in the journal Nature Climate Change.In this context, Keenan has become fascinated by the same question as Tracy -- the where. Where will people move as the world continues to warm? And are there any places that would be smart to position themselves as a "climate refuge?"His answer: Yes.In particular, the Great Lakes region and the American Rust Belt.And in hyper-particular: Duluth, Minnesota.'Not as cold as you think' In 2019, after conducting a statistical analysis of US cities — including the cost of living, relative vulnerability to climate-related disasters and effects, availability of diverse housing stock, natural resource availability, and so on — Keenan began discussing Duluth, Minnesota, as one of the most climate-friendly places in the United States. Scientists and other academics from the University of Minnesota Duluth caught wind of this and asked Keenan to come to town to present his research in town.In a public lecture, Keenan introduced some tongue-in-cheek slogans — "Duluth: not as cold as you think!" — and outlined his vision for Duluth as a climate refuge.People in Duluth are still talking about the visit two years later.His thesis rests on a few key points: Water: Duluth sits at the western point of Lake Superior, which is among the largest freshwater lakes in the world, containing about 10% of the world's accessible freshwater (10%!). California is running out of water. (The massive Colorado River often is sucked dry by cities in the Southwest before it meets the Gulf of California). The West is getting drier, overall. And here's Duluth sitting on an abundant, stable supply of the stuff.Housing: Duluth, like other Rust Belt cities, has available and affordable housing stock. According to the mayor's office, the city was built for 130,000 people. Manufacturing declined. Now the city's population is only 86,000. In other words: room to grow.Infrastructure and mindset: Duluth has been investing in a clean-energy future in ways that not all former industrial towns have, according to Keenan. It has abundant public parks, health care facilities and water infrastructure that could support a growing population, he said.Cool factor: Keenan describes Duluth in his presentation and interviews as progressive, inclusive and welcoming — the type of place a Californian can tolerate. There's an art scene, breweries, a distillery that makes gin from the area's spruce and juniper trees. The county — St. Louis County — is reliably blue in a blue-leaning state that happens to have the nation's highest voter turnout rate. It's an engaged, interesting place. Climate-friendly citiesThere's no definitive ranking of climate-resilient cities, but here is a sampling of cities that Jesse Keenan, from Tulane University, sees as poised to be adaptable to the highly uncertain era of the climate emergency. Burlington, VermontRochester, New YorkBuffalo, New YorkPittsburghKnoxville, TennesseeAsheville, North CarolinaToledo, OhioDetroit, MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganMadison, WisconsinMilwaukeeMinneapolisDuluth, Minnesota Source: Jesse Keenan, Tulane UniversityThe entire Great Lakes region is poised to succeed in this way, Keenan told me. Thinking across decades and generations — not right away — that northern region could undergo a Renaissance as people flee fire, rising seas, floods, hurricanes and extreme drought. There are still climate risks in the upper Midwest, to be sure. But they are expected to be less intense than those affecting other parts of the United States. Lucinda Johnson, associate director of the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth, recalls thinking that this idea of "refuge" was the most natural thing in the world. She studies other organisms that seek it — and they're usually looking for freshwater. "There's no reason to think that humans are going to be any different from other species" when it comes to seeking out that resource, Johnson told me. "We are part of the ecosystem, so there's not a lot we can do to separate ourselves from the natural world." 'San Francisco of the North' I decided to follow in Keenan's footsteps and take a trip to Duluth. After all, if I were going to recommend this place as a future home for Tracy — and all of the other people considering similar moves — I should at least set eyes on it. Duluth sounds fine on paper, but "House Hunters" teaches us that listings aren't always what they seem. I'm not going to sugarcoat my first impression: Driving into town, Duluth struck me as a Midwestern version of Pittsburgh. The city is about two hours north of Minneapolis by car. The first thing you see from that direction is its industry — a paper mill, factories, heaps of ore. A view of Duluth, Minnesota, on the shores of Lake Superior.Plus, the weather. In mid-March, after one brilliantly sunny afternoon, it was very windy and therefore fairly cold. (I'm not going to say "frigid" even though it felt that way to me at times, coming from Salt Lake City; Minnesotans, who are known for being super nice, also are known for being super not-nice to people who complain about their weather.) In February, before my visit, the temperature dropped to minus 27 degrees Fahrenheit.Get a little closer, though, and Duluth's allure begins to reveal itself. You can see the hillside that plunges with San Francisco-like steepness toward Lake Superior. And then, of course, there's the lake. I've spent relatively little time in the Great Lakes region, but this is a lake that looks and sounds like an ocean. Signs alert visitors of its substantial currents. There's a light house, a boardwalk and a lift bridge that crosses St. Louis Bay. Waves crash on the rocky shore of the lake — and, truly, you can forget for a moment that you're not on the Pacific. I felt conflicted right from the start. The light house along Canal Park, a popular tourist destination, guides ships into Duluth's harborOne of my first stops was to meet the city's mayor, Emily Larson. "We are known as the San Francisco of the North," Larson said with smile. "I'll let you decide if you think that's true." At first, Larson didn't know how to feel about Keenan's proposal — Duluth as climate refuge. The idea "really challenged me, actually," she told me, "like, challenged me personally." She found it difficult to grapple with the fact that people are being forced from homes they've built and have loved — that human-caused warming would undercut entire ways of life. Emily Larson, mayor of Duluth, MinnesotaGiven that stark reality, though, she wants to help. "It's a wonderful place to live. It's an extraordinary place," she said of Duluth. "And we want to be that (refuge) for people." It happens to be a potential refuge where the average home price, according to Zillow, is just north of $200,000. Far short of San Francisco's $1.4 million. 'Cultural genocide'Not everyone shares this vision of Duluth-as-climate-refuge.There are fears in town that property values will go up — that the clean water, ample parks and relatively affordable housing may not survive thousands of new arrivals. The state and nation's painful legacy of colonialism complicates matters further. I spoke with Karen Diver, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a former adviser to President Obama on Native American affairs, about this idea. For her, the stakes could not be higher. "If you are going to come here, then you need to support us as Indigenous people so that your climate solution doesn't end up in our cultural and spiritual genocide," she said. Karen Diver, member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a former adviser to President Obama on Native American affairs."This is treaty area for the Fond du Lac Band (of Lake Superior Chippewa). And, once again, we are going to bear the brunt of colonization," she said. "These will be new colonizers coming to the area, but it's going to because they're going to come here for reasons that have nothing to do with anything that Tribal people have done." Diver said it's not that she doesn't sympathize with people who are moving because of the climate crisis. It's that she wants to be sure their arrival doesn't further degrade the natural resources that make northern Minnesota special — and that Indigenous people aren't further marginalized (or further pushed off of their land) by new migrants. "If you're coming for the clean water, can we still promise you clean water with 50,000 or 100,000 more people?" she said. "Don't kill the thing you love, you know?" Larson, the mayor, told me the city is planning for sustainable growth. She said she's sensitive to Diver's concerns and the fact that "this land has been inhabited for centuries," well before Duluth existed as a town, should be front of mind during this potential transition. 'Our home didn't feel habitable'Largely, Duluth-as-climate-refuge is still a theory. But I did meet two people for whom this is reality. Jamie Beck Alexander and Doug Kouma both moved to Duluth, separately, in circumstances similar to Tracy's. They lived in California and became fearful of wildfires and toxic air quality. They sought out Duluth in part because of its perceived insulation from climate disaster. Kouma, who was living in Sonoma County, created a spreadsheet with some of the qualities he was looking for in a new city. Duluth ranked near the top for him, particularly for its lack of climate risks and its relatively progressive politics. A visit in 2019 sealed the deal. Doug Kouma, a former winemaker in Sonoma County, California, moved to Duluth in 2019. He now works at Vikre Distiller, which makes handmade spirits using water from Lake Superior."Duluth is today is sort of maybe what San Francisco might have been 20 or 30 years ago?" he told me, not 100% sure about this but also not willing to dismiss the comparison. "It's crunchy. It's granola. You can be who you want to be and live the life you want to live here." As for the winters? They're super cold, he said. But people embrace it by cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. He actually didn't mind it. His biggest complaint seems to be the small size of the 40-something dating pool. He jokingly asked me to encourage dating prospects to check Duluth out. Jamie Alexander, meanwhile, left San Francisco with her husband and two young children last summer. They didn't want to live through another fire season — particularly because of their children's health. "Our home didn't feel habitable to us anymore," she said. They started driving east and kept going until they felt like they were a safe distance from fire risk. That ended up being Minnesota, and eventually Duluth. Alexander is the director of Drawdown Labs at Project Drawdown, which is a climate-focused organization, so she was familiar with the risks. They couldn't be more pleased with Duluth. Alexander told me she feels more at home here after several months than she'd felt in other locations the family had lived in for years. "We've been really warmly welcomed," she said. Given the similarities between Alexander's story and Tracy's, I asked Alexander if she had anything she wanted to say to the woman struggling with the question of where to move."I would say, 'We're all in this unknown together.' I don't think there are some people who have the answers and other people who are searching for them. I think we're all, you know — we're all searching and we're all trying to make sense of what's happening" to the planet."There's no guidebook for this," she added. "History is no guide for the future." 'I'll go look' After the trip, I called Tracy. I wasn't trying to convince her to move to Duluth, per se. This isn't actually HGTV. I share Mayor Larson's sentiment that none of this feels good. There are terrible inequities baked into the way climate migration is unfolding in the United States. My true wish is that the world would stop burning fossil fuels, which would slow down the rate of warming that's driving these changes. Short of that, it's logical to me that Americans like Tracy would seek to adapt. If only this country could help lower-income people do the same. And if only the United States could become a global leader in a push to include the climate as a valid criterion for status under the Refugee Convention. Currently, climate migrants are not covered under international refugee law like political refugees, for example. Jamie Alexander left San Francisco due to health concerns from wildfire smoke and moved to Duluth with her husband and two children.I also want people like Tracy to find safety — to find home in this troubled world. I told her about Keenan and Duluth. About how it meets many of her personal criteria — the sense of community, the progressive politics, the availability of freshwater and (for the most part) the apparent reduced risk of wildfire. "I'll go look!" she said, partly just to placate me, I think. "Maybe it's closer to San Francisco than I realized. If so, that would be wonderful." There's no easy or happy ending to this story. Tracy has decided to move. But she still doesn't know where. The idea of the Midwest doesn't appeal to her culturally, and she's worried about the cold winters. Lake Superior contains roughly 10% of world's accessible drinking water and is the largest of the Great Lakes. The Aerial Lift Bridge raises for ships entering the harbor from Lake Superior.Maybe Vermont? New England? Nothing feels exactly right — or doesn't yet. Even Alexander, who is happy now in Duluth, told me this transition has been extraordinarily painful. She left San Francisco without really saying goodbye to a place she loved. Get our free weekly newsletterSign up for CNN Opinion's new newsletter.Join us on Twitter and FacebookI thought back on my conversation with Keenan, who told me that the United States is "an extraordinarily mobile country." We're people who adapt to problems by moving — for better and worse. The climate crisis may prove to drive the Greatest Migration of them all. It's playing out today with relatively little notice. And with little support from governments or international organizations. Nowhere is truly safe. But perhaps it's only human to seek whatever refuge you can find it.

Matt Egan, CNN Business

2021-06-14 17:03:00

business

investing

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/14/investing/climate-change-disclosure-sec-california/index.html

California and nearly a dozen other states want companies to reveal the financial risks of the climate crisis - CNN

Corporate America must be compelled to fess up about the financial risks posed by the climate crisis, a coalition of state attorneys general told the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

investing, California and nearly a dozen other states want companies to reveal the financial risks of the climate crisis - CNN

Exclusive: Companies face a financial risk from the climate crisis. States want them to reveal just how much

New York (CNN Business)Corporate America must be compelled to fess up about the financial risks posed by the climate crisis, a coalition of state attorneys general told the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.In a comment letter obtained exclusively by CNN Business, California and nearly a dozen other states warn that the SEC's current disclosure rules are inadequate given the gravity of the climate crisis and the transparency investors crave."Climate change is not a distant problem to be dealt with in the future," the letter to the SEC reads. "It is here, and it threatens the US economy and its financial system."Investors holding $41 trillion demand action on climate — nowThe letter, signed by the Democratic attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Maryland and Wisconsin, calls for "comparable, specific and mandatory" climate-related disclosures by SEC-regulated firms. Specifically, the states urged the SEC to require companies to make annual disclosures of their emissions and any plans to address them; analyze and disclose the potential impacts of both climate change and climate regulation; and disclose policies on corporate governance and risk management related to climate change.Read MoreThe pressure from states comes ahead of Tuesday's deadline set by the SEC for the public to weigh in on the agency's climate change disclosure rules. The SEC has already received more than 5,000 comments in response to its mid-March request for public input. The agency has also held more than two dozen meetings with companies and business groups, including with the representatives of Apple (AAPL), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Uber (UBER), Walmart (WMT), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA), ConocoPhillips (COP), the US Chamber of Commerce and Business Roundtable.The costs of the climate crisisIn its 22-page comment letter, the California-led coalition argues that mandatory climate disclosures are "essential" not only to the SEC's mandate to protect investors but also to "ensure efficient capital formation and allocation.""Given the demand from investors for such disclosures, the significance of climate change risk to companies, and the importance of efficient capital allocation to climate-resilient companies, such disclosures are squarely in the public interest," the letter reads. The states note that many US companies do not make climate-related disclosures and have no plans to do so in the future. Others issue "boilerplate" disclosures that "suggest that they are not thoroughly evaluating or disclosure their exposure," the letter said. States say they have a vested interest here because climate change is causing extreme weather events that damage local communities and sap public resources. California in particular has been rocked by deadly wildfires that could worsen as the climate crisis deepens. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities and risk severe flooding.Developer pulls the plug on Keystone XL oil pipelineAt the same time, climate change and the transition to clean energy poses legal, business and physical risks to companies — including ones that states and their residents invest in directly or through retirement accounts and pension programs.The comment letter points out that climate-related weather events have imposed more than $600 billion in direct economic damages on US companies since 2016, according to estimates by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."As the state prepares for the twin crises of drought and wildfires, Californians have a right to know what exposure their investments — including college savings, pensions and retirement accounts — have to climate change," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.Debating the role of the SECHowever, some business groups and Republicans are urging the SEC not to overstep its authority by imposing burdensome climate regulation.All Republican members of the US Senate Banking Committee wrote a letter to the SEC on Sunday stating that new regulations to specifically address global warming are not necessary or appropriate. "The SEC is an independent financial regulator, whose political insulation reflects its narrow focus on the financial markets," the GOP letter said. "It does not have a mission of remaking society or our economy as a whole."And they argued the push for more disclosure is being driven by efforts to appease asset managers and other third-party stakeholders."Activists with no fiduciary duty to the company or its shareholders are trying to impose their progressive political views on publicly traded companies, and the country at large," the letter readsLast month, the US Chamber of Commerce opposed a bill that would require the SEC to establish climate-related risk disclosure metrics and public companies to disclose the financial and business risks they face from climate change.Investors want more transparencyThe SEC last guided companies on how to disclose climate change issues in 2010, when the agency issued guidance indicating information about climate risks and opportunities might be required to be disclosed."Since 2010, investor demand for, and company disclosure of information about, climate change impacts and opportunities has grown dramatically," the SEC said in its March request for information.Ohio will soon be home to the largest solar factory complex outside of ChinaIndeed, activist investors recently won three board seats at ExxonMobil following a bruising battle with the oil giant. The proxy fight between Exxon (XOM) and hedge fund Engine No. 1 was the first at a major US company where the case for change was built around the transition away from fossil fuels. Last week, more than 450 major investors managing over $41 trillion called on world leaders to implement mandatory climate risk disclosure requirements and take other steps to more forcefully confront the climate threat."Climate risks could damage and destabilize the United States economy — and with it, the value of investor holdings," the California-led coalition argued Monday, "if companies, regulators and investors cannot effectively manage them."

Rachel Ramirez

2021-06-14 19:00:07

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/14/us/rocky-mountain-fires-getting-worse/index.html

Rocky Mountain subalpine wildfires higher now than past 2,000 years - CNN

New research shows high-elevation forests in the Rocky Mountains are burning more now than any time in the past 2,000 years amid extreme, climate change-induced drought.

us, Rocky Mountain subalpine wildfires higher now than past 2,000 years - CNN

High-elevation forests in the Rockies are burning more now than in the past 2,000 years

(CNN)Following a devastating wildfire season in 2020, new research shows that high-elevation forests in the Rocky Mountains are burning more now than any time in the past 2,000 years amid extreme, climate change-induced drought. The study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that fire activity in subalpine forests of northern Colorado and southern Wyoming is unprecedented in the last several millennia -- a clear signal that the climate crisis is increasing the severity and extent of wildfires in the West. Rising temperatures and prolonged drought in the West will continue to exacerbate and accelerate wildfire activity for at least several decades, scientists say. Philip Higuera, lead author of the study and fire ecology professor at the University of Montana, told CNN last year's wildfire season was a game changer."After 2020, it's clear we're in uncharted territory," Higuera said. "People are being negatively impacted by these wildfires either directly or indirectly. Climate models suggest that this trend is only set to continue." The current drought sets the stage for another brutal fire season in 2021, particularly in California where rainfall deficits and dead vegetation are already breaking records that scientists didn't expect until August, Higuera said.The fires raging out West are unprecedented. They're also a mere preview of what climate change has in storeRead MoreThe 2020 wildfire season pushed Higuera and his colleagues to analyze historical fire records to understand how 21st century activity differs from the past. In addition to historical records, they also used charcoal found in lake sediments around the subalpine forests -- or high-elevation forests -- to compare how often fires have occurred in the area on average in the last two millennia. Higuera's team found that last year's wildfires accounted for 72 percent of the total charred area in the subalpine forests since 1984. They also found the current rate of burning is 22 percent higher than the maximum average rate over the past 2,000 years -- a period of time the temperature in the Northern Hemisphere was actually slightly higher than it was during the 20th century.The study's authors say the increase is a particularly significant climate impact, since subalpine forests typically burn less frequently than lower elevation forests.Higuera called the results "sobering.""Understanding how ecosystems have changed in the past is one of our best ways to learn more about how our forests change as climate changes," Higuera said. "Studying the past is so important because it really helps highlight the degree to which we are changing the landscapes that we live in now."Jennifer Marlon, a climate scientist at the Yale School of the Environment who was not involved with the study, said these results suggest the seasons are shifting."When you get extreme heat and drought together, that's a recipe for really severe wildfires," Marlon told CNN. "The fingerprints of global warming are all over this kind of fire behavior."Concerningly, Higuera said, what has worked to prevent wildfires at low elevations -- controlled burns -- is not an easy solution for subalpine forests."In lower elevation forests, it's an easier proposition to say we need to return prescribed fire to these forests to help get them back to conditions similar to how they were before fire suppression," Higuera said. "It's not as feasible in high elevation forests." The wildfire season is coming quickly and it's coming earlier, California forecasters warn"Fire managers are faced with challenging decisions," he added, "whether having to modify the way that fire exists in these systems versus accepting these high severity fires, which is hard when they burn close to human communities."Forests are vital to addressing the most dire effects of the climate crisis. They not only protect biodiversity, but also absorb and store carbon dioxide emitted from human activities. But as wildfires worsen, the carbon stored in these forests is increasingly released back into the atmosphere, an impact compounded by bad air quality. Scientists say that forest ecosystems including the subalpine in the Rocky Mountains could soon reach a tipping point unless climate change is addressed. But Higuera warns that the solution isn't to eliminate fire from management systems because it has historically been part of the life cycle of forests. "One of the challenges of living in the West is that we know that fire is an important component on these landscapes," he said. "If we remove it, that will take away a lot of the things we've come to expect such as species composition. The challenge for us is to be able to learn how to live with fire on the landscapes in ways that do not turn into human disasters."

Story by Drew Kann. Graphics by Renée Rigdon, CNN

2021-02-22 10:45:53

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/business/flood-insurance-climate-change-risk-first-street-foundation/index.html

Climate change is increasing flood risk around the country. Insurance rates are not keeping pace, report finds - CNN

Flooding is the most costly natural disaster in the United States. As climate change increases the risk of flood damage, a new report finds that the country's National Flood Insurance Program is greatly underestimating the financial threat to homeowners.

business, Climate change is increasing flood risk around the country. Insurance rates are not keeping pace, report finds - CNN

Flood risk is growing for US homeowners due to climate change. Current insurance rates greatly underestimate the threat, a new report finds

(CNN)Wildfires and hurricane-force winds produce stunning videos and headlines, but flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. And almost no place in the country is immune as 98% of all counties in the US have experienced at least one flooding event. In the last decade alone, floods have caused more than $155 billion worth of damage, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).As the climate changes, the risk of financial loss from flooding for millions of homeowners is increasing.After the snow melts, the flooding will begin. Here's how to prepareA new report finds that there is a growing gap between the financial threat homeowners face from flooding and the insurance rates some pay to cover that risk.Currently, there are nearly 4.3 million residential properties around the country with a substantial risk of financial loss due to flooding. The report defines "substantial risk" as carrying a 1% chance of flooding in any year.Read MoreSome, but not all, of those homeowners have insurance through the federal government's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides more than 90% of the flood insurance policies in the US.But the report finds that those homes face losses each year which dwarf the costs of their NFIP premiums. The average NFIP premium cost today for those properties is around $981, but their expected annual loses are $4,694 per property. If all of those property owners were to purchase flood insurance to protect against potential damage, premiums would need to increase by 4.5 times to cover the risk. The analysis was conducted by the First Street Foundation, a non-profit research and technology group that aims to shed light on the growing risk of flooding around the country due to climate change. The study only considered residential properties with between one and four units, but the authors say the actual financial risk from flooding around the country is likely far greater than the report captures. Millions more US homes are at risk of flooding than previously known, new analysis shows"Our numbers are large ... but it's not encompassing all properties that are inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, or many other residential properties like condos, apartment buildings and other larger buildings," said Matthew Eby, founder and executive director of the First Street Foundation. "So if you take that and you extrapolate, there are actually a lot more buildings that have financial risk as well."A separate report from the foundation last year estimated that there are a total of 14.6 million properties around the country with substantial flood risk. The owners of around 5.9 million of those properties may be unaware of their flood risk because they are located outside of FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA), and therefore aren't required to buy flood insurance even if they hold a government-backed mortgage loan, the report found.Scientists are confident that climate change is fueling hurricanes capable of whipping up more dangerous storm surges, as well as increasing the odds of extreme rainfall events that can trigger inland flooding. Today, the 4.3 million homes with a 1% chance of flooding carry an expected annual loss of $20.8 billion due to flood damage, the foundation's analysis found. However, within the life of a 30-year mortgage signed today, those losses are projected to balloon by 61% to nearly $32.2 billion per year by 2050 due to the effects of climate change.As massive storms like Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey and Sandy have hammered some of the country's biggest coastal cities, the NFIP's bottom line has already taken a beating. Today, the program is saddled with more than $20.5 billion in debt, according to a recent Congressional Review Service Report. That's after Congress canceled $16 billion of the NFIP's debt in 2017 to allow the program to pay claims to victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. "With climate change and more development and more properties at risk, it just keeps going further in the hole," said Sandra Knight, a senior research engineer at the University of Maryland's Center for Disaster Resilience and a former FEMA administrator. "That tells you you're not collecting enough premiums, but the long-term game is to have zoning and building codes that minimize risk. You can't just depend on insurance."Experts and even FEMA officials have acknowledged for years that there are shortcomings with the NFIP as it is currently structured. Chief among those is the process of drawing FEMA's flood maps, which provide the basis for setting insurance rates for many policies under the NFIP. FEMA still has not completed flood maps for huge swaths of the US, said Michael Grimm, the acting deputy associate administrator of the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administratio, while testifying before a House committee in February 2020And though FEMA maps are required by Congress to be reassessed every five years, Grimm says it takes seven years on average to complete a new flood map, meaning that some maps may technically be out of date by the time they're finished.An emergency worker helps evacuate people stranded by flooding during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. A new report finds that the risk of financial loss for homeowners due to flooding is expected to grow as the climate changesInsurance rate setting under the NFIP has seen little change since the 1970s. The rates are set depending on which of three broad types of flood zones a property sits in: low to moderate risk, high risk or high risk coastal area. The type of property, the elevation of the building, the number of floors and whether it has a basement are also factored in. But experts say the use of these flood zones is an unsophisticated way to gauge risk that doesn't take into account key considerations, like the topography of the land where a property sits. FEMA's flood models only factor in the risk of storm surge and river flooding, not the threat posed by heavy rainfall."It's actually sort of a crude way to price flood risk because it doesn't account for changing flood risk across a landscape," said Carolyn Kousky, the executive director of the Wharton Risk Center at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the advisory board for the First Street Foundation.To address these problems, FEMA is expected to roll out a new system for setting flood insurance rates later this year called Risk Rating 2.0, which the agency says will utilize the latest technology to better capture the risk for each individual property.David Maurstad, the senior executive of the National Flood Insurance Program, said that the First Street Foundation's findings should not be taken as a preview of the rate changes flood insurance policy holders can expect when Risk Rating 2.0 goes into effect."Any attempt to compare an outside entity's premium estimates or premium recommendations to the Risk Rating 2.0 initiative is premature," Maurstad said in an emailed statement. "FEMA is constantly working to leverage new technologies and provide national-scale flood risk information more efficiently, accurately and consistently to the public."Still, Kousky says that the new findings are an important indicator of just how much the cost of flood damage could grow around the country as the climate changes, which the cost of insurance in any single year does not capture."It certainly has shown how much flood losses are going to start increasing as a result of climate change," she said. "That should be a red flag for the NFIP and communities everywhere that the cost of this risk are going up. And that means to stay solvent, insurance costs have to go up as well."

Chad Myers, CNN Meteorologist Produced by Monica Garrett, Nick Scott and Judson Jones

2019-09-04 15:10:42

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/weather/climate-change-skeptic/index.html

I am a CNN meteorologist. I used to be a climate change skeptic - CNN

I've been a meteorologist at CNN since 1999. And for a long time I didn't think that global warming gasses would overwhelm the earth enough to change its climate. One big number ultimately changed my mind.

weather, I am a CNN meteorologist. I used to be a climate change skeptic - CNN

I am a CNN meteorologist. I used to be a climate crisis skeptic

(CNN)I've been a meteorologist at CNN since 1999. And for a long time I didn't think that global warming gasses would overwhelm the earth enough to change its climate. As a skeptic, I didn't deny climate change existed. I was questioning the data behind the science. One big number ultimately changed my mind. Watch this video to learn what it is:JUST WATCHEDI used to be a climate skeptic. This fact changed my mindReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHI used to be a climate skeptic. This fact changed my mind 00:51That was on April 23, 2013. After that day I started attending climate conferences, and continued to consume more and more of the data coming in about climate change. I like to say that I didn't go from denier to believer; I went from skeptic to scholar. And along the way I learned a lot about the climate crisis that I hope will help YOU better understand it as well. Read MoreFor instance, I quickly learned the problem was way bigger than just carbon dioxide: JUST WATCHEDIt's not only CO2. These greenhouse gasses are just as badReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIt's not only CO2. These greenhouse gasses are just as bad 01:26Over the last millennium, the concentration of these gasses in the atmosphere has gone up and down. In tandem, global temperatures have also become warmer, colder and then warmer again. That's why so many skeptics say climate change is cyclical, and point to that as evidence against global warming. But what we're experiencing now is much more extreme than in the past:JUST WATCHEDClimate change is cyclical, but this is worseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHClimate change is cyclical, but this is worse 01:19As this alarming rate of warming continues, it is evident that humans are responsible. And not always in the ways you might think: JUST WATCHEDCar exhaust isn't the only climate change contributorReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCar exhaust isn't the only climate change contributor 01:15All of these issues are contributing to global warming -- a term that often gets misused, especially during an epic snowstorm or freezing spell during the winter months. The problem is that people are only looking at the weather out their windows: JUST WATCHEDIt's snowing. Where is global warming? ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHIt's snowing. Where is global warming? 01:09When you look at the crisis from a global perspective, you start to see evidence of a devastating future:JUST WATCHEDWhat we'll have to endure as the climate crisis gets worseReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat we'll have to endure as the climate crisis gets worse 01:18Maybe you see the climate crisis as I do now. Maybe you need some more time to gather your own evidence and look closely at the facts. Whenever you're ready, the next step is to figure out how you can start making a difference: JUST WATCHEDWhat you can actually do to slow the climate crisisReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWhat you can actually do to slow the climate crisis 01:13Contributing video editors: Jeffrey Kopp, Lacey RussellMotion graphics: Melody Shih

Megan Alldridge and Stefanie Blendis, CNN

2021-02-19 00:36:13

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/world/erika-woolsey-vr-dive-hydrous-immerse-spc-intl/index.html

Erika Woolsey and The Hydrous are using virtual reality to bring people closer to the ocean - CNN

Marine biologist Erika Woolsey is using immersive virtual dives to raise awareness of coral reef damage and inspire action to protect our seas.

world, Erika Woolsey and The Hydrous are using virtual reality to bring people closer to the ocean - CNN

A marine biologist is using virtual reality to bring people closer to the ocean

(CNN)Diving in the oceans, marine biologist Erika Woolsey has seen first-hand how coral reefs and sea life are being damaged by climate change. It has made her determined to find a way for others to share her experience -- including those who can't easily explore the ocean.Through her non-profit, The Hydrous, Woolsey is using virtual reality to "bring the ocean to everyone." The San Francisco-based collective of scientists, filmmakers and divers is taking people on immersive virtual dives to create a sense of "universal ocean empathy," raising awareness of reef damage and inspiring action to protect our seas. JUST WATCHEDVR dives are bringing the oceans closer to homeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVR dives are bringing the oceans closer to home 03:41Coral reef destructionAs a habitat, coral reefs rival the biodiversity of rainforests, with an estimated 25% of marine species depending on them. However, climate change, pollution and overfishing have decimated around half the world's shallow water coral reefs. Two decades of underwater exploration have given Woolsey, 36, an intimate understanding of the threats facing reefs. "I've seen first-hand this ... shift from a healthy colorful vibrant coral reef, to what looks like a moonscape," Woolsey says. "When the coral goes ... so do the fish, so do the other animals that depend on the reef and human societies that rely on those ecosystems for their livelihood."Read MoreIt is this experience The Hydrous team set out to recreate with their award-winning film "Immerse." Intended to be watched with a VR headset, viewers join Woolsey for a nine-minute guided virtual dive on the coral reefs off the western Pacific Island of Palau, immersed in a 360-degree underwater view. Read: How NASA technology can help save the world's biggest sharkThey swim alongside manta rays, sea turtles and sharks before witnessing the deterioration of the reefs. The experience often elicits strong reactions. "As soon as people take off that headset and look me in the eye, they want to tell me a story about their ocean experience," Woolsey says. "It's that human connection to our ocean that will solve our ocean problems.""Immerse" premiered at the International Ocean Film Festival in 2019 and has won awards including the EarthXFilm 2019 Official Selection. Woolsey has also led live virtual dive events, including guiding 450 participants at the National Geographic VR Theater in Washington in 2019. VR in a pandemic However, it has been in the last year, amid global lockdowns, that virtual dives have truly come into their own. Since June 2020, almost 1 million people, aged eight to 90, have taken part in virtual dives. A much-needed "tool for teleportation" at a time when people are confined to their homes, Woolsey says the dives also offer people a connection that goes beyond the ocean. JUST WATCHEDSwimming with manta rays could help save themReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSwimming with manta rays could help save them 03:32"Right now, we're not only disconnected from our oceans but also each other, so these dives are a wonderful tool to connect us more to our natural environments as well as to each other," she says. Woolsey hopes advances in camera technology will allow her team to "take more and more people to places in the ocean that are underexplored ... places further away from human civilization." They are developing a virtual experience that will put the participant in the role of a marine biologist, tracking and monitoring manta rays, conducting biodiversity surveys underwater, and even transporting the viewer to space to monitor global sea surface temperatures. Ultimately, Woolsey's message about our oceans is a positive one. The VR technology shows not only the state our oceans are in but how they have a chance to recover. It is this that Woolsey says people take away with them after the experience. "When we ascend, we ascend with a message of hope that we bring back to land," she says. This story has been updated to correct the date when "Immerse" premiered.

Hazel Pfeifer

2021-02-10 03:18:23

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/world/cte-brad-norman-whale-sharks-scn-spc-intl-hnk/index.html

NASA technology can help save whale sharks says Australian marine biologist and ECOCEAN founder, Brad Norman - CNN

The Wildbook for Whale Sharks uses an algorithm first developed by NASA to identify individual whale sharks by the patterns on their skin. This provides scientists with critical information about the sharks' population hotspots and migration routes.

world, NASA technology can help save whale sharks says Australian marine biologist and ECOCEAN founder, Brad Norman - CNN

How NASA technology can help save whale sharks -- the world's largest fish

Call to Earth is a CNN initiative in partnership with Rolex. Brad Norman is a Rolex Awards Laureate. (CNN)Thousands of people around the world are lending a hand to help save the world's biggest fish. By taking photos of whale sharks, these "citizen scientists" are providing researchers with critical information about the giant sharks' population hotspots and migration routes. Whale sharks are endangered, with estimates suggesting populations worldwide have plummeted by more than 50% over the past 75 years. Although they are protected in many countries, whale sharks are still killed by the fishing industry -- caught deliberately for their fins (shark fin soup is a delicacy in parts of Asia) and as accidental bycatch, especially in tuna fishing areas where whale sharks and tuna swim close together. Whale sharks are also threatened by oil and gas drilling, vessel strikes and climate change.The world's biggest fish, whale sharks are endangered by human activity, including fishing, oil and gas drilling and climate change.To help protect the species, Australian marine biologist Brad Norman co-founded The Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a photo identification database that went online in 2003. Members of the public, scientists and whale shark tour operators around the world contribute photos of whale sharks to the system, which uses NASA technology to map their locations and track their movements. Today, the database holds over 70,000 submissions from more than 50 countries -- making it one of the biggest crowd-sourced conservation projects in the world. Adventures with giant fishRead MoreDespite their imposing size -- whale sharks can grow up to 20 meters (65 feet) long -- these gentle giants don't pose a danger to swimmers. Feeding on plankton and tiny marine organisms, they cruise at a leisurely maximum of three miles per hour, allowing snorkelers and divers to get up close. Norman has been studying these charismatic creatures for over 25 years. He first swam with a whale shark in the turquoise waters of Ningaloo reef on Western Australia's northern coast. "It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had," he recalls. "I'll never forget it." Marine biologist Brad Norman photographing a whale shark.That whale shark -- nicknamed Stumpy because of his deformed tail -- was the first entry in a photo-identification library that Norman created in 1995. The library, later operated by Norman's conservation organization ECOCEAN, became the foundation of The Wildbook for Whale Sharks. Read: She filmed sharks for 'Jaws' - then she dedicated her life to protecting themA slow swimmer, Stumpy is relatively easy to keep up with, says Norman. "I see him nearly every year and ... I think 'G'day mate, how you goin'?"Since that first encounter, Norman has swum with whale sharks on thousands of occasions -- and says he still gets a buzz out of it every time.Why NASA tech works for whale sharksImages submitted to The Wildbook for Whale Sharks are analysed by an algorithm that scans the spots and stripes on the animal's skin, which are as unique as a human fingerprint, says Norman. The algorithm identifies the shark by searching the database for a matching pattern. Whale sharks are identified by the markings on their skin.Adapted from technology first developed for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope program, the algorithm works for whale sharks because their skin markings form patterns similar to stars in the night sky.Norman says that collectively, the data on whale shark locations and migration routes informs decisions on management strategies for habitat protection. "I can only be in one place one at one time," he says. "It's so important to have members of the public assisting with our project." Is swimming with whale sharks good for them?Norman says he would "encourage anybody that gets the opportunity to swim with a whale shark." But more boats, snorkelers and divers in whale shark areas could be problematic. Norman cautions that impact on the sharks must be minimized.In Western Australia, whale shark tour operators are strictly regulated with limits on the numbers of people and licensed vessels in the water near the animals at any one time -- and a percentage of sales going towards whale shark industry management. JUST WATCHEDSwimming with manta rays could help save themReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSwimming with manta rays could help save them 03:32However, regulation and enforcement are weaker in other places. In the Maldives, whale sharks are a popular attraction but government guidelines designed to protect the sharks from harassment are frequently breached. This can cause stress for the animals, while boat collision injuries can impact their development and ability to travel long distances.Whale sharks in the Philippines are routinely provided with food to attract them to places where visitors can easily see them. This can change the sharks' diving patterns and metabolism, while a high level of scarring indicates increased boat strikes. The crowding from tourist activity and feeding can also lead to coral reef degradation. But where whale shark tourism is practiced responsibly, it can help save the species. Norman hopes to see more data collection around the world, plugging information gaps and strengthening conservation efforts. He's seeking what he calls "the Holy Grail" -- finding out where the whale sharks go to mate. Protecting their breeding grounds is the "one big thing" needed to save the species in the long run, he says. The help of thousands of citizen scientists gives him a better chance of making that possible.

Brandon Miller, CNN Meterologist and Jen Christensen, CNN

2019-09-04 14:38:53

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/04/us/climate-change-science-101-basics/index.html

The science behind climate change - CNN

Not sure how we found ourselves in this climate crisis? Still on the fence about how much the planet is warming and how much of it is caused by humans? Here are the facts you need.

us, The science behind climate change - CNN

The science behind the climate crisis

(CNN)Not sure how we found ourselves in this climate crisis?Still on the fence about how much the planet is warming and how much of it is caused by humans?Here are the facts to get you up to speed before the CNN Climate Town Hall with 10 of the leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidates on Wednesday.Carbon dioxide and the greenhouse effectCarbon dioxide is called a "greenhouse gas" because of its ability to trap solar radiation in the Earth's atmosphere like a blanket and heat up the planet -- acting the same way a greenhouse keeps plants warm and growing. Read MoreAll of this carbon dioxide is warming the planet.CO2 naturally occurs in the atmosphere and without it, the planet would be too cold to support life. But human activity, like the burning of fossil fuels for energy, has increased the gas to dangerous levels, increasing the thickness of that blanket to the point that the Earth is heating up. Before the Industrial Revolution, the levels fluctuated naturally over many thousands of years but had never exceeded 300 parts per million at any point in the last 800,000 years. In addition to the levels being higher than at any point in human history, the rate at which those levels have increased shows that humans are the cause. During natural variations in the distant past, carbon dioxide levels took thousands of years to change as much as humans have raised the levels in less than a century.How much is the planet warming? The average global temperature is up nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit.Scientists have been measuring temperatures around the globe reliably since about 1850 and several independent government and academic institutions -- NOAA, NASA, Japan Meteorological Agency, the UK Met Office, among others -- track this data to give us global average temperatures. The agencies use different methods and work separately, but all of these data sets tell us the same thing: Our planet is warming, and nearly every year is warmer than almost all the years before it.The past five years have been the five warmest years since 1850 and 18 of the hottest 19 years have occurred since 2001. The warming trend has rapidly increased since the 1970s.The average global temperature has risen about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or a little over 1 degree Celsius, since the 1880s. That puts us more than two-thirds of the way to the warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius that was set in the Paris climate agreement.While 2 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound like much, that difference throws a lot of Earth's processes out of whack. Humans have thrived at a consistent global temperature, and now it's changing. Think of your body's temperature: When you have 100-degree fever or higher, it means something isn't right and it has an effect.JUST WATCHEDSee glaciers melt before your eyes ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHSee glaciers melt before your eyes 01:24Polar ice is meltingIce is disappearing from both poles at an increasing rate.Climate change is occurring the fastest in the Earth's polar regions, where temperatures are rising more than twice as fast as the planet as a whole. This is causing major changes is the polar landscape -- namely melting ice both in the oceans (sea ice) and the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. With each decade, there's about 13% less ice cover. The volume of sea ice is less than half of what it was 20 years ago.The impact of the lack of ice is showing itself in places such as Alaska, where a lack of ice is leading to fish and animal die-offs and coastal flooding. According to NASA, Greenland is losing around 286 billion tons of ice volume per year, while Antarctica shreds about 127 billion tons of ice. Both ice sheets have shown increasing rates of ice loss over the past decade. According to scientists, the summer of 2019 is expected to set the record for the most ice-melt ever recorded over Greenland. Global Warning: Explore Greenland's ice meltMiami's Little Haiti wasn't a target for developers. Until the seas started to rise. Sea levels are risingThe most widespread impact from climate change is rising sea levels around the globe.A combination of melting ice sheets, glaciers and an expansion of the water as it heats up has caused the global average sea level to rise by more than 8 inches since 1900, with almost half of that rise coming in the last 25 years.Projections show that oceans will rise on average by 1 to 4 feet across the globe by 2100, which would expose 30 to 60 million people worldwide to flooding, assuming we can keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. But we do not have to wait until 2100 to see the impacts of sea level rise. Communities in South Florida are already flooding many times per year during everyday high tides, and they are struggling with the costs to combat the rising tides. Man tries to avoid ocean water that has spread onto this Miami Beach street during a high tide. The City of Miami Beach is in the middle of a five-year, $400 million storm water pump program and other projects that city officials hope will keep the ocean waters from inundating the city as the oceans rise even more in the future. Oceans are warmingThe world's oceans are warming at an accelerated rate. The ocean is the "memory of climate change" -- about 93% of the Earth's energy imbalance ends up in the ocean. The oceans have experienced consistent changes since the late 1950s and have gotten a lot warmer since the 1960s, with 2018 being the warmest year on record, followed by 2017, then 2015.A warmer ocean brings deadly consequences. Warmer waters lead to an increase in rainfall, leading to longer-lasting and more intense storms, stronger hurricanes, dangerous coastal flooding and the loss of sea ice.If humans don't do anything to mitigate climate change, warming in the upper part of the ocean will be six times higher by 2081-2100 than total ocean warming in the past 60 years, researchers estimate.The climate crisis impacts your healthThe climate crisis could "halt and reverse" progress made in human health over the past century, experts say. Rising global temperatures could lead to many more deaths than the 250,000 a year between 2030 and 2050 the World Health Organization predicted just five years ago.Higher temperatures bring more bug-borne diseases and cases of malaria, diarrhea, heat stress, heart defects and malnutrition.Food shortages could become a serious issue.About 1% of food calories have already been lost from global food production due to rising temperatures. That means a serious loss of food calories for about 50 million people.The rising CO2 levels have also had a negative impact on the nutritional value of certain crops such as rice, and the climate crisis has reduced crop yield. It has also negatively impacted floral development, meaning that the pollinators -- bees and butterflies -- that rely on that pollen are put in jeopardy by the climate crisis.

AJ Willingham, CNN

2019-07-10 18:37:21

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/10/world/antarctica-ice-sheet-sea-levels-trnd/index.html

Antarctica's ice is degrading faster than we thought, and there may be no way to stop the consequences - CNN

A new study predicts the eroding ice sheets at the Southern pole could trigger a serious rise in sea levels even if climate change is addressed.

world, Antarctica's ice is degrading faster than we thought, and there may be no way to stop the consequences - CNN

Antarctica's ice is degrading faster than we thought, and there may be no way to stop the consequences

(CNN)There are plenty of ominous indicators of the consequences of climate change, but few are more worrying to scientists than the ice sheets of Antarctica at our planet's southern pole. These ice sheets have been melting for quite some time, and it doesn't take a degree in physics to understand the risk there. As the ice melts it flows into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise. And rising sea levels are obviously a huge problem. JUST WATCHEDDon't believe these climate change liesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDon't believe these climate change lies 02:35Now, new NASA-funded research published in the journal PNAS reveals a concerning complication. Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Washington ran hundreds of simulations to predict how one large ice sheet, Thwaites Glacier, could degrade over the next 50 to 800 years. The results showed the glacier was more in danger of becoming unstable that previously thought. The Thwaites Glacier.Read MoreSmall changes could lead to a watershed moment "Unstable" here means something very specific. An "instability" in an ice sheet essentially makes it a frozen, ticking time bomb. The area of the glacier behind where it cantilevers over the water is eaten away, which can cause the glacier's ice to break off and flow faster out to sea and add to rising sea levels. What's more ominous, the research finds, is that once this instability is triggered it's hard, if not impossible, to stop. "If you trigger this instability, you don't need to continue to force the ice sheet by cranking up temperatures. It will keep going by itself, and that's the worry," lead author Alexander Robel said in a release. In other words, even if climate change was magically reversed, it wouldn't necessarily stop the dangerous and rapid rise in sea levels that could be triggered by unstable ice sheets. JUST WATCHEDHow climate change will impact your regionReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHHow climate change will impact your region 01:57The 'worst-case' scenarioRobel, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, says the "worst-case scenario" could be a rise of two or three feet from the Thwaites glacier alone. While Robel suggests engineers and planners start building future critical infrastructure farther away from the sea-level line, you don't need to pack up your coastal homes like it's high tide yet. This potential acceleration of sea level rise could come into full effect 200 to 600 years from now. This seems like a long time from now, because we will all be dead by then. But the Earth and its future generations hopefully won't be, and climate scientists want to keep it that way.

Jessie Yeung, CNN

2019-07-11 06:53:36

news

europe

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/11/europe/climate-cities-report-intl-hnk/index.html

By 2050, London's climate will feel like Barcelona, says new study - CNN

An estimated 77% of the world's cities are going to face dramatic changes in climate conditions by 2050, a new study says. A fifth will face conditions so extreme they don't exist anywhere on earth yet.

europe, By 2050, London's climate will feel like Barcelona, says new study - CNN

By 2050, London's climate will be as warm as Barcelona's, says new study

(CNN)In 2050, London's climate will feel more like Barcelona's, according to a new climate change study.If this sounds like a pleasant warming -- think again. London could be facing severe drought, as Barcelona did in 2008, when it nearly ran out of drinking water and reservoirs ran close to dry.Hundreds of other major cities worldwide could be facing droughts, flooding, storms, and other climate catastrophes, said the study, which was conducted by the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich university.Some of these climate effects aren't even known or predictable yet -- a fifth of cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Singapore, are facing conditions so extreme they don't currently exist anywhere in the world, according to the study.The study predicted the future climate conditions of 520 major cities worldwide, and paired those predictions with the conditions of cities today. By 2050, Madrid will feel more like Marrakesh, Seattle will feel like San Francisco, and New York will feel like Virginia Beach, according to the report.Read More Drawing these city-to-city comparisons can "help people visualize the impact of climate change in their own city, within their lifetime," said Jean-Francois Bastin, lead author of the study.An estimated 77% of cities around the world will see their climate conditions drastically change, indicating "the global scale of this climate change threat and associated risks for human health," the study warned.Regions with northern latitudes, including most of Europe, will face the most dramatic temperature changes -- European cities are expected to become 3.5 degrees Celsius (6.3 Fahrenheit) warmer in the summer and 4.7 degrees Celsius (8.5 Fahrenheit) warmer in the winter, the study said.In London, for example, the warmest month will rise by 5.9 degrees (10.6 Fahrenheit), leading to a mean annual temperature rise of 2.1 degrees (3.8 Fahrenheit).These might not sound like significant shifts, but warming temperatures could encourage the spread of infectious disease, endanger food security, and lead to water shortages, said Alex Lo, a senior lecturer in climate change at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. "Even though they can't really predict with high confidence, my guess is the main conditions will concern temperature and water," said Lo. These two themes are the main symptoms of climate change everywhere, Lo said -- rising temperatures and water-related issues like flooding, droughts, typhoons, and severe storms, and water insecurity.The danger is different in tropical regions -- temperatures there won't rise by much, but the level of precipitation is expected to change significantly. Wet seasons will get wetter and dry seasons will get drier -- increasing the danger of droughts and floods.Coastal cities are particularly at risk of flooding, which could damage buildings, displace residents, and threaten infrastructure like urban transportation systems, said Lo.This trend of extreme wet and dry seasons is already visible in some countries like India, which is experiencing severe water shortages. This year, the monsoon rains that bring relief each year came weeks late in some places, prolonging nationwide droughts and leaving people scrambling for drinking water. Then when the monsoon rains do arrive, they come so fast and so heavy that cities flood, leaving dozens dead.India has just five years to solve its water crisis, experts fear. Otherwise hundreds of millions of lives will be in dangerIt might even be difficult for these tropical cities to prepare for a future of climate change -- of the 22% of cities that are facing unknown, currently non-existent climate conditions, 64% are in the tropics.These new conditions could potentially lead to mass migrations as cities become unlivable, some experts say."Without the benefit of knowing that the new climate conditions are already liveable somewhere in the world, it is harder to know whether people will be able to adapt and stay in these cities, or whether they will eventually look to move elsewhere," Richard Betts, chair of climate impacts at the University of Exeter, told the Science Media Center.This new study is the latest in a series of climate warnings from scientists and policymakers worldwide. 'Climate apartheid' to push 120 million into poverty by 2030, UN saysJust last month, a new UN report warned that more than 120 million people could slip into poverty within the next decade because of climate change, creating a "'climate apartheid' scenario where the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger and conflict while the rest of the world is left to suffer."This is apparent in drought-hit Indian cities like Chennai and Mumbai, where wealthier families can afford to buy private water tankers -- while low-income residents must line up for hours outside to access government tankers.Other cities worldwide are also facing extreme climate this summer. Germany recorded its highest-ever June temperature last month during a major Europe-wide heat wave -- 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 Fahrenheit). A new June temperature record was also set in neighboring Poland, where meteorologists measured 38.2 Celsius (100.8 Fahrenheit).

Jordan Evans, CNN and Brandon Miler, CNN Senior Meteorologist

2019-06-28 16:30:03

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/28/us/alaska-sea-ice-wxc/index.html

Alaska's warming ocean is putting food and jobs at risk, scientists say - CNN

The ice surrounding Alaska is not just melting. It is so low that residents along the western and northern coastlines are facing a crisis of survivability.

us, Alaska's warming ocean is putting food and jobs at risk, scientists say - CNN

Alaska's warming ocean is putting food and jobs at risk, scientists say

(CNN)The ice around Alaska is not just melting. It's gotten so low that the situation is endangering some residents' food and jobs."The seas are extraordinarily warm. It is impacting the ability for Americans in the region to put food on the table right now," said University of Alaska climate specialist Rick Thoman.Ocean temperatures in the Chukchi and North Bering seas are nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit (five degrees Celsius) above normal, satellite data shows."The northern Bering & southern Chukchi Seas are baking," Thoman wrote this week in a tweet.The northern Bering & southern Chukchi Seas are baking. Large areas away from land with ocean surface temperatures more than 5C (9F) above the 1981-2010 average. Impacts to the climate system, food web, communities and commerce. #akwx #ClimateCrisis @Climatologist49 @amy_holman pic.twitter.com/HkrHpZGs8g— Rick Thoman (@AlaskaWx) June 24, 2019 There are immediate local and commercial impacts along the state's western and northern coastlines, Thoman told CNN. Birds and marine animals are showing up dead, he said, and sea temperatures are warm enough to support algal blooms, which can make the waters toxic to wildlife. Read MoreA dead seal lies on a beach near Kotzebue, Alaska.It's a mounting crisis for many coastal Alaska towns that depend on fishing to support their economy and feed people who live here."Much of what the people eat there over the course of the year comes from food they harvest themselves," said climatologist Brian Brettschneider at the International Arctic Research Center. "If people can't get out on the ice to hunt seals or whales, that affects their food security. It is a human crisis of survivability."Events like this -- when weather patterns align to generate extreme consequences -- are also evidence of the growing climate crisis, scientists say.A perfect storm for warming watersIce cover around Alaska normally lasts through the end of May. This year, it disappeared in March, as side-by-side maps showing the same date in March 2013 (left) and 2019 demonstrate, according to the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.Atmospheric patterns this year have put Alaska in an unlucky spot, Brettschneider said.The unprecedented warming has been driven by southerly winds in the Bering Sea, with warm air from the south melting the ice at an alarming rate. Ocean temperatures in the region also have never been as warm during the peak of summer, based on seasonal averages. And communities in northern and western Alaska have seen temperatures close to their all-time June records.In short, everything that could have "gone wrong" this year for the ice around Alaska has gone wrong, Brettschneider said.This is a signal of global warmingThe warming is a sure signal of a warming planet and part of the trend of increasing global temperatures, Brettschneider said."This event is unquestionably a reflection of our changing climate," he said. "The sea temperatures and sea ice deficits have not happened before as a random event. The mathematics just do not work out."Trump is making the warming of Alaska even worseAnd this year's conditions will have a lasting effect. "These extraordinary warm waters will take awhile to cool off as winter approaches," Thoman said, adding that a later and thinner ice formation is expected in the coming winter. Meantime, if some conditions change, that won't negate the global warming trend. "Next year, the winds could turn northerly. That tends to mask a warming signal," Brettschneider said, referring to the long-term warming trend of the planet. "It is just like in the lower 48 (states), where you can have major Arctic outbreaks if the winds are set up in the right direction. That masks an overall warming."What is happening in coastal Alaska is what is coming in one sense for everybody else," he told CNN. "Most people are feeling the effects of climate change even if they don't know it. Changes are happening, and changes will be magnified."CNN's Monica Garrett contributed to this story.

Jen Christensen, CNN

2019-02-12 16:03:41

health

health

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/12/health/climate-change-cities-projected-temperatures-study/index.html

With climate change, what will your city's weather feel like in 60 years? - CNN

Within your child or grandchild's lifetime, the weather may be dramatically different because of climate change. The past five years have already been the hottest on record for our planet, but based on new projections, it's going to get a lot hotter for the 250 million people living in North American cities.

health, With climate change, what will your city's weather feel like in 60 years? - CNN

With climate change, what will your city's weather feel like in 60 years?

(CNN)Within your child or grandchild's lifetime, the weather may be dramatically different because of climate change. The past five years have already been the hottest on record for our planet, but based on new projections published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, it's going to get a lot hotter for the 250 million people living in North American cities. Polar bear invasion: Parents scared to send children to school in remote Russian archipelagoIn many urban areas, the researchers from the University of Maryland, North Carolina State University and the National History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen found "substantial differences" between probable future climate and even the best scenario. That means that by 2080, many cities will probably experience "novel climates with no modern equivalent."According to the researchers' interactive map, if emissions are not cut and climate change continues as it is, by 2080, summers in New York will feel like those of Jonesboro, Arkansas: an average 9.1 degrees Fahrenheit warmer and 20.8% drier.If we cut emissions and enact policies that tackle climate change, the change won't be nearly as extreme. By 2080, summers in New York would feel more like those of Lake Shore, Maryland: about 4.4 degrees warmer and 9% drier. Nearly all cities in the eastern United States, including Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, would have climates much more similar to those of cities hundreds of miles away to the south and southwest. Read MoreMassive insect decline could have 'catastrophic' environmental impact, study saysIt's not just the East Coast that could change. The Northeast would be more like the humid parts of the Midwest or southeastern United States. Western cities would be more like the desert Southwest. Cities in Florida would experience summers more like what parts of Mexico has today. San Francisco would have the climate of Los Angeles: 7 degrees warmer and 40% drier.The change could be particularly problematic in the West, where the study shows that the average distance between cities' future climate and current "climate analogs" might be shorter.Changes in elevation show just how drastically different the climate could be in the future.Take Denver, elevation 5,280 feet: The "Mile-High City" is known for its comfortable mountain climate and it depends on tourism featuring winter sports like skiing. But by 2080, according to the study, Denver's climate would be around 9 degrees Fahrenheit warmer and more like that of the Texas Panhandle city of Borger, elevation 3,077 feet. Climate change planning is well underway in Denver, according to Tom Herrod, a program lead with the Department of Public Health & Environment. The city has a goal to reduce carbon emissions 80% from 2005 levels by 2050. Denver also has done its own climate modeling to create a climate action plan, and the numbers in the new study look similar to those results, Herrod said.City officials use data sets like these to look at how they should improve building codes and to make sure they aren't just energy-efficient but have the proper air quality inside."It's really about adaptation planning and getting as much of the city prepared as possible," Herrod said. On Capitol Hill, new calls for rapid action on climate changeNot a lot of Denver residents have air conditioning, but if the city's climate becomes like Texas', that will need to change, and residents will need to prepare. "We love seeing studies like these because it's a really good way to bring climate change in front of people," Herrod said. "This really will impact people in their daily lives."Kristie Ebi said more cities are going to be proactive and think about climate change and its impact on infrastructure. "Buildings in Chicago are built for cold, for example, not heat. There are so many places without central air, and it is not cheap to put in and not cheap to run, and that's just the start of planning that will need to happen," said Ebi, who was not involved with the new study but who looks at the impact of climate change on health as a professor at the University of Washington's Department of Global Health. Temperature changes will do more than make summers extremely uncomfortable for people who are used to milder temperatures. The changes will hurt economies and affect such industries as farming and tourism. Harrison Ford: 'Elect people who believe in science'Ebi said city health departments need to be thinking about increases in vector-borne diseases, heat-related deaths, allergies and asthma. Worker productivity will fall for those who work outside, and Little League teams will have to change their seasons to avoid the higher temperature. "This impacts a lot of lives in lots of ways -- and ways people may not be thinking of with these shifts," Ebi said. "Mapping like this is really helpful because it helps people understand how much their own cities will have to adapt."Urban populations are considered highly sensitive to climate change, the study said. Because most people live in cities, the authors wanted to show people what climate change could mean for them in a real and concrete way. Ski chief apologizes for praising dictatorshipsLynda Walsh, a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno who has written about impactful ways of communicating about climate change, said she likes this approach.This approach "doesn't sentence its viewers to climate doom; rather, they're invited to envision a city they have heard of and perhaps even have visited," Walsh said in an email. "This approach has the potential to spark conversation and creative 'what if we... ' responses, rather than hopeless resignation to a global scenario that's beyond any one community's control."Walsh said the authors are right to point out that the climate-analog approach needs further testing to see if this form of communication works, but, Walsh said, "to a rhetorician of climate, at least, who cares most about promoting democratic deliberation and policymaking around the issue, (the researchers') analogical approach is really promising."Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team."The good news is, these are projections. Adverse consequence doesn't necessarily have to occur if we take action," University of Washington's Ebi said. She cites the time when Mothers Against Drunk Driving became a popular group advocating for changes in drunken driving laws."A small group of very angry mothers changed all the laws in the United States," Ebi said. "It is possible to make rapid change in short periods of time. We need the collective action and individual action and change. This is possible." CNN's Brandon Miller, Judson Jones, Jamie Gumbrecht and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.

Leah Asmelash, CNN

2019-09-28 04:33:03

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/28/world/youth-environment-activists-greta-thunberg-trnd/index.html

Greta Thunberg isn't alone. Meet some other young activists who are leading the environmentalist fight - CNN

Greta Thunberg has rapidly become a household name since she began her climate strikes in 2018. And she's not alone.

world, Greta Thunberg isn't alone. Meet some other young activists who are leading the environmentalist fight - CNN

Greta Thunberg isn't alone. Meet some other young activists who are leading the environmentalist fight

(CNN)Greta Thunberg has become a household name since she began her climate strikes in 2018, inspiring thousands of students to walk out of class and demand action on the climate crisis. The 16-year-old Swede recently appeared on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," met with Barack Obama and delivered a fiery speech this month to world leaders at the United Nations. Greta Thunberg got the world's attention. But are leaders really listening?And she has company. Around the globe, young people are sounding the alarm on climate change and environmental issues by organizing rallies and confronting policymakers. Meet five others who are leading the fight.Read MoreIsra Hirsi, 16Isra Hirsi, daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, has been a longtime social justice advocate and more recently got involved in climate activism.Hirsi says she was inspired to take on climate change after seeing pipelines built in Minnesota and hearing about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan in 2014. She joined an environmental group at her school and later co-founded the US Youth Climate Strike -- an American branch of the international movement inspired by Thunberg.The high school student hasn't slowed down. In her home state of Minnesota, Hirsi is focused on advocating for groups that are disproportionately affected by climate change. Most recently, she attended the United Nations Youth Climate Summit. Autumn Peltier, 15When Autumn Peltier was just 8 years old, she attended a ceremony at a reservation where she saw a sign warning that the water was toxic, according to the CBC.Growing up on a freshwater island in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in Canada, Peltier says she had never experienced toxic water. The memory of that sign stayed with her. Six years later, at the age of 14, Peltier is fighting for water conservation and indigenous water rights. She says she was inspired by her great aunt, Josephine Mandamin, an indigenous activist who walked the shores of all five Great Lakes to raise awareness for water conservation.When she was 12, Peltier confronted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, telling him she was unhappy with his policies on controversial pipeline projects. Trudeau promised her he would protect the water. Since 2015, 87 long-term water advisories in Canada have been lifted; 56 water advisories remain.Last year, Peltier spoke at the UN about the importance of water conservation and water access, explaining the sacred role water plays in her culture. "Many people don't think water is alive or has a spirit. My people believe this to be true. ... We believe our water is sacred because we are born of water."Bruno Rodriguez, 19At the UN Youth Climate Summit this weekend, Bruno Rodriguez declared climate change the "political, economic and cultural crisis of our time." The 19-year-old activist, who has organized student walkouts in his home of Buenos Aires, is calling for other young people to fight government complacency and pollution by corporations. "We hear that our generation is going to be the one in charge of dealing with the problems that current leaders have created, and we will not wait passively to become that future. The time is now for us to be leaders," he said at the summit.He continued, "Stop the criminal contaminant behavior of big corporations. Enough is enough. We don't want fossil fuels anymore."Helena Gualinga, 17 View this post on Instagram INDIGENOUS BLOOD, NOT A SINGLE DROP MORE! As we are facing one of the biggest crisis in human history, climate change. Indigenous people , protectors of the amazon and preventers of further climate destruction are criminalized, persecuted and murdered for defending LIFE and BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. STAND WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE! Today we took over TIMES SQUARE. #climatejustice A post shared by Sumak Helena Gualinga (@helenagualinga) on Sep 22, 2019 at 10:52pm PDT Helena Gualinga, from the Ecuadorian Amazon, says she's been fighting for climate issues her whole life -- especially against big oil companies.Gualinga has said she is scared about what could happen to her community, particularly in the face of recent fires and increasing deforestation. She especially works to advocate for other indigenous people. "By protecting indigenous peoples' rights, we protect billions of acres of land from exploitation," she wrote in an Instagram post in August. Mari Copeny, 12Mari Copeny, AKA "Little Miss Flint," might be small in stature, but definitely not in voice.The self-described "future president" came to fame in March 2016 when she wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama about the Flint water crisis. Her words inspired Obama to fly to Flint himself, giving the crisis national attention. Little Miss Flint was just 8 years old when she wrote that letter, but she has continued to work for her cause. In 2017, she appeared in a video promoting the Peoples Climate March, stating "I march for drinkable water." She started #WednesdaysForWater this year, raising awareness every Wednesday about places in need of clean water. And now she's working with a water-filtration company to bring water filters to communities that don't have access to drinkable water.That's an impressive list of accomplishments for anyone, let alone a middle schooler.

Stephanie Bailey, CNN

2019-03-12 19:00:12

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/12/world/trashtag-internet-challenge-intl/index.html

#trashtag: Viral challenge sends internet on garbage hunt - CNN

Viral internet challenge #trashtag has encouraged a worldwide garbage cleanup.

world, #trashtag: Viral challenge sends internet on garbage hunt - CNN

#trashtag: Viral challenge sends internet on a garbage hunt

(CNN)Instead of encouraging social media users to do something potentially dangerous, like choking down a spoonful of cinnamon or sticking a shot glass on your lips to copy Kylie Jenner, an altogether more wholesome viral challenge is spreading across the web.Last month, the #trashtag challenge inspired people to go to locations covered in garbage, pick up the trash, and post before and after pictures on social media.So far there are more than 74,000 posts tagged on Instagram and countless volunteers have cleaned up parks, roads and beaches around the world. View this post on Instagram Have you participated in the #TrashTag Challenge? Odds are, if you're in the BSA, this is just another weekend for you!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Over the weekend, this post started going viral for all the right reasons. It's all about helping your community, something all our members are familiar with.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here's what you need to do to participate:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. Find an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 2. Take a before photo⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 3. Take action and do it!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 4. Take an after photo and post it with #BSATrashTag⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Make sure to tag @boyscoutsofamerica as well in your posts and we'll share our favorite ones later this month.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Let's do our part and show how we're helping make our communities a better place!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ .⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #BoyScoutsOfAmerica #BSA #CubScouts #ScoutsBSA #Venturing #SeaScouts #Exploring #Scouting #Community #CleanUp #WeOwnAdventure #ScoutMeIn #BeAScout A post shared by Boy Scouts of America (@boyscoutsofamerica) on Mar 12, 2019 at 10:01am PDT View this post on Instagram I am blown away with the response I got with my other post encouraging people to take part in this new #trashtag challenge! My inbox is full of photos like this! Will be sure to jeep sharing them!🌍🌍🌍 - Tag a friend who needs some happiness 🤗 - Follow @themostwholesomememes for more posts like this 💕💕💕 A post shared by #1 Feel Good Meme Page 💻 (@themostwholesomememes) on Mar 11, 2019 at 4:07am PDT View this post on Instagram Challenge accepted! 😅👊🏼💦#trashtag #cleanupchallenge A challenge worth trending!🙌🏼🙏🏼🌊 #HolidayBeachCleanUp #Srilanka #saveourseas #Doit @sea_the_bigger_picture A post shared by tanyavangraan (@tanyavangraan) on Mar 12, 2019 at 1:23am PDTOne group picked up bottle caps, straws and balloons from a beach in California, while another collected plastic thrown out by local people in Junagadh, India. The challenge first started in 2015 when outdoors clothing company UCO launched the #TrashTag Project.Read More"Me and a buddy of mine were out on a road trip in California and a receipt blew out of a window," recalls Steven Reinhold, a UCO people ambassador at the time. "We kind of felt bad about it because it was in a really pretty location, so we decided to pick up 100 pieces of trash."However, the idea was reignited when Byron Román challenged "bored teens" on Facebook. "My post was mainly to inspire or motivate younger people to do something," Román told CNN. "It's about people going out and grabbing rakes, bags and gloves, and cleaning up their areas." A group in Junagadh, India, posted on Instagram about collecting plastic thrown out by locals.The #trashtag challenge has been raising awareness of litter pollution and the scale of ocean plastic. Over 150 million tonnes of plastic are in our oceans, according to a World Economic Forum paper from 2016, and a 2018 UK government report warned the amount of plastic polluting the world's oceans is expected to triple between 2015 and 2025. Read: This floating pipe is trying to clean up all the plastic in the oceanLike the Ice Bucket Challenge that raised $115 million for the ALS Association, #trashtag could be a rare social media challenge that makes the world a better place. "If we all pick up a couple of things, we can all pitch in and make an impact," says Craig Frazee, UCO junior design engineer. "This is a movement to inspire people to be better stewards of the environment.""It's amazing that people are out their taking responsibility for the planet," said Román. "It's never too late to get started." Jodi Upchurch contributed to this report.

John D. Sutter, CNN

2017-02-28 13:53:49

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/us/sutter-climate-opinion-maps/index.html

The geography of climate confusion: a visual guide - CNN

New research sheds light on the geograpy of climate change confusion in the United States, where there's more agreement on clean energy than on climate science.

us, The geography of climate confusion: a visual guide - CNN

The geography of American climate confusion: a visual guide

John D. Sutter is a columnist for CNN Opinion who focuses on climate change and social justice. Follow him on Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook or subscribe to his email newsletter. (CNN)Climate change may seem like a complicated issue, but it's actually simple if you understand five key facts, according to Edward Maibach, director of the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. They are: 1. It's real. 2. It's us. 3. Scientists agree. 4. It's bad. And: 5. There's hope. The public needs to know 5 key messages on climate crisis, says Ed Maibach from George Mason. Worth writing down. #climatechangeshealth pic.twitter.com/sYFHCmaNRR— John D. Sutter (@jdsutter) February 16, 2017 Yet, far too few Americans get it.That became more painfully apparent to me this week when Yale University researchers released data and maps that detail American attitudes on climate change. The data, which are based on surveys and modeling by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, do show there is broad agreement in the American public on the solutions needed to fight climate change and usher in the clean-energy era. The most striking example: majorities of people in every single congressional district support setting strict limits on carbon dioxide pollution from existing coal-fired power plants, according to the research. And this despite the fact that many Republicans and US President Donald Trump say they want to ax an Obama-era regulation -- the Clean Power Plan -- that aims to do just that. Still, there remain big pockets of climate confusion -- perhaps denial -- across the country, especially when it comes to climate science. Narrowing this info gap is particularly critical now since President Trump has denied the science of climate change and has promised to enact policies that can be expected to dirty the air and intensify warming. Read MoreTo that end, here is a geographic look at five key climate facts. Explore more of this data on the website for the Yale Climate Opinion Maps. 1. Climate change is realMost Americans -- in nearly every county across the United States-- understand the world is warming, according to Yale University research released in February 2017.Seven in 10 Americans say, correctly, that the world is warming up. This fact is getting harder to deny as annual temperature records continue to fall year after year (2016 was the hottest year on record; 16 of the top 17 hottest years have occurred since 2000). Majorities of people in nearly every US county understand this point. Scientist have measured about 1 degree Celsius of warming since the Industrial Revolution, when humans started burning fossil fuels. 2. Humans are causing the Earth to warmFifty-three percent of Americans understand that humans are causing global warming, according to Yale data. Whether humans are causing warming is more contentious with the American public, even though the science on this is settled -- and has been for some time. Humans are causing global warming by polluting the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide. These gases act like a blanket in the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing gradual warming over time. Most of the pollution comes from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. The amount of pollution is staggering: Fossil fuels produce more than 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution per year, according to the Global Carbon Project. Chopping down tropical forests also contributes to climate change since those forests pull CO2 out of the atmosphere. In recent years, researchers also have identified food waste -- throwing out uneaten food -- and diets that are high in beef and lamb as important contributors to global warming. The reasons are complex, some having to do with cow burps (which contain methane) and also with the emissions associated with farming practices. People in the Great Plains, Mountain West, as well as some of those in the Deep South and Rust Belt regions are more likely than those on the coasts to say they doubt the science that says humans are causing global warming. Still, slightly more than half of Americans, according to the Yale research, say correctly that humans are responsible for climate change. 3. Scientists agree on these pointsOnly about half of Americans realize nearly all scientists agree the planet is warming and humans are responsible, according to the Yale University research.Even fewer Americans understand this critical fact: Nearly all climate scientists agree that the planet is warming and that humans are mostly responsible because we're polluting the atmosphere with heat-trapping gases. The most commonly cited number is 97%, meaning 97% of climate scientists agree humans are causing warming -- and have for years. "Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that 97% or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are extremely likely due to human activities," NASA says on a website devoted to the "scientific consensus" on global warming. "In addition," the site continues, "most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position."Only 49% of Americans surveyed by Yale said "most scientists think global warming is happening." And there are pockets of the United States where only about a quarter of people understand that scientists agree on this.4. Climate change is bad The Yale University data how nearly 6 in 10 Americans are worried about global warming.Sometimes people learn the above three facts -- climate change is real, it's caused by us, and there is broad scientific agreement about all of this -- and they still say, not illogically, that a little warming doesn't sound so bad. The Paris Agreement on climate change aims to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius. What's 2 degrees of warmth? The trouble is that when you learn the mechanics and consequences of runaway climate change, you realize that 2 degrees really is that bad -- and that any further warming could reasonably be termed catastrophic. At 2 degrees of warming, for example, some small island countries, like the Marshall Islands, which I visited in 2015, are expected to be submerged beneath rising seas. As the oceans warm and land-based ice melts, sea levels are rising. Already, low-lying American cities like Miami Beach, Florida, are raising street levels and installing pumps to keep the water back. Runaway warming could bring about mass extinction in the natural world, wicked droughts, deadlier heatwaves, bigger wildfires, more-intense storms and more. Think of it as risk management. Extreme warming could end life as we know it. Yet, we can avoid that future -- and the unfair burden it places on future generations -- with some simple changes. 5. There are smart ways to fix global warmingVast majorities in every state support renewable energy research and development spending, according to the Yale research. Americans are in broad agreement when it comes to climate fixes. In the map above, for instance, you can see that 82% of Americans support funding for research and development on renewable energies like wind and solar power. The dark red colors show areas of the country where support for this sort of research is incredibly high, and there are no areas of the country where most people oppose the research into clean energy sources like wind and solar. Most Americans -- 69% -- also support strict CO2 limits on coal-fired power plants; and three-quarters want CO2 regulated as a pollutant. These policies are much closer in line with the Obama administration's actions than with President Trump's rhetoric. Trump's "America First Energy Plan" envisions a return to dirty fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, all of which contribute to climate change and also are known to contribute to a range of health problems, from asthma attacks to death. "The public does want this transition to clean energy -- and they want to start it now," said Anthony Leiserowitz, a senior research scientist and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.Yet, almost no one talks about climate changeOnly a third of Americans say they talk about global warming, according to the research.How can we citizens spread factual awareness about climate change? One answer is simple: talk about it. Only about a third of Americans have conversations about climate change. "You get this downward spiral of nobody discussing it," Leiserowitz told me. "The fact that we don't hear about it all that often -- including from the news media -- and because we don't talk about it with our friends and our families and our social networks -- then therefore it's not that important, or can't be that important, because if it was we'd all be talking about it."Learn the facts. And help break that cycle.

Scottie Andrew, CNN

2020-09-14 17:15:04

news

weather

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/weather/wildfire-smoke-new-york-trnd/index.html

Smoke from Western wildfires has blown thousands of miles to New York - CNN

Smoke from severe wildfires burning on the West Coast has blown thousands of miles east, now reaching parts of the Midwest, Canada and upstate New York.

weather, Smoke from Western wildfires has blown thousands of miles to New York - CNN

Smoke from Western wildfires has blown thousands of miles to New York

(CNN)Smoke from severe wildfires raging on the West Coast has blown thousands of miles east, reaching parts of the Midwest, Canada and upstate New York. The Western US has the worst air quality in the world, group saysAt least 35 people have died in the fires, the worst of which are burning in California, Oregon and Washington state. They've burned over 4.6 million acres in the West, devastating the environment and sullying air quality. Now, smoke from those fires has swept eastward in two large swaths: One has blown across the upper western US to Michigan and the Great Lakes region and over to Rochester, New York. The other has traveled across the southwest through Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, ending in the Mid-Atlantic, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Satellite and Product Operations. Smoke from the Western wildfires has traveled thousands of miles east to the Midwest and even upstate New York, satellite images show.Light to medium smoke cover also blew east into Toronto and Ottawa in Canada, as well as north to Vancouver and northeast to Calgary in Western Canada. A narrow strip of land between both smoke paths was spared, including parts of Nevada, Utah and Colorado. The haze hasn't impacted air quality in most of the eastern US. From North Dakota to New York, air quality is still considered "good" in areas where smoke has traveled. Air quality is still hazardous in parts of California, Oregon and Washington, according to AirNow, an air quality database maintained by government agencies including NOAA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read MoreThis year's fire season is unprecedented in scale and severity. There are currently 87 large wildfires actively burning in 10 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, and over 3 million acres have burned in California alone.There could be far worse disasters on the horizon. Climate scientists warn that as global temperatures increase, so will the prevalence of catastrophic wildfires. Hot and dry conditions, conducive for wildfires, are already becoming the norm -- it's up to humans to mitigate the activity that has accelerated climate change, scientists say. CNN's Judson Jones and Drew Kann contributed to this report.

Helena Cavendish de Moura, Special to CNN

2015-04-08 00:51:21

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/07/world/cnnphotos-dancers-atacama-desert-chile/index.html

Desert dancers highlight Andean culture - CNN

Andres Figueroa spent time in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, and took portraits of Chileans who dress up for religious festivals.

world, Desert dancers highlight Andean culture - CNN

Desert dancers highlight Andean culture

Story highlightsPhotographer Andres Figueroa spent a week in one of the driest places on EarthHe took portraits of Chileans who dress up in costume for popular religious festivals (CNN)South America's Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, resembles some of the faraway planets monitored by giant telescopes there.The lack of humidity provides optimal conditions to watch the sky and study the origins of the universe."It is pure visual silence," said photographer Andres Figueroa. "It is amazing. There is absolutely no humidity, and (these conditions) create some striking contrasts."There, in that clear, inhospitably arid environment, Figueroa turned his camera lens toward another discussion on cosmology, one rooted in the ancient folklore of the Andean people. Taking along his mobile lighting studio, Figueroa photographed a series of religious festivals that take place every July in the Atacama. In his "Dancers of the Deserts" series, Figueroa chronicles these festivals, which attract about 200,000 people to some otherwise quiet mining towns in Chile.Read MorePhotographer Andres Figueroa"I have always wanted to see the desert. Even though I am not very religious, I've always been curious about their traditions," said Figueroa, who is from the Chilean capital of Santiago.Figueroa worked hard on cataloging and differentiating the ceremonies and their complex rituals -- at times playing the role of an artist, others as an anthropologist -- but he always remained faithful to his love for classic portraiture."From an anthropological standpoint, I was interested in documenting all the signs and symbols that appear in each costume and character, all the indigenous and Catholic syncretism," he said. "My lighting studio allowed me to pick up on these details."From a portraiture standpoint, I used a formal approach to explain this living culture that is constantly growing and reinventing itself. I asked each character to stop to be photographed, taking them away momentarily from the festival in a more intimate scenario."Photographing adobe walls, desert landscapes and the ubiquitous camping sites where pilgrims come to gather, Figueroa said each character is perched in his or her own context.Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.Bears and devils pose in the desert in striking contrast. These photos highlight the uniqueness of Andean culture, which draws influences from Europe, the Inca and more recently, Chinese traditions. There are endless nuances, not always perceived by the naked eye. "It is a very special festival. When you see the bears, you see them participating in the different roles, blending in with the (the devils)," Figueroa said. "And sometimes, you see them as a central figure in a festival of their own. It is amazing, a tradition brought by the Chinese near Peru."Figueroa, who befriended many of the musicians and dancers, said it was important to take part in the festival in order to understand its meaning to the community. "I had to understand the hierarchy and protocols of each group," he said. "As a photographer, it is important to create the conditions for things to happen. You can have it all planned and set up in order for things to naturally take place."Figueroa said the desert festivals have a deeper role in a region that struggles with social problems such as drug trafficking and poverty. It is the glue that binds families, and young people heavily invest their time and money to make their costumes and parade with pride. The festivals "are a form of social protection," Figueroa said. "I felt the presence of love ... their love and effort in communicating with their divinity and holding together as communities."Andres Figueroa is a Chilean photographer. You can follow him on Facebook.

Michael Martinez, CNN

2015-04-06 01:05:14

news

living

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/05/living/cnnphotos-swedish-dads-parental-leave/index.html

Dads cherish Sweden's parental leave - CNN

Sweden has some of the most generous parental leave on Earth, and these new dads are taking advantage of it.

living, Dads cherish Sweden's parental leave - CNN

Dads cherish Sweden's parental leave

Story highlightsJohan Bavman photographed fathers in Sweden, which has generous parental leaveSweden's policies encourage fathers to take just as much leave as mothers (CNN)When photographer Johan Bavman became a father for the first time, he took more than a passing wonder about how his native Sweden is said to be the most generous nation on Earth for parental leave.He immersed himself in fatherhood -- twice over, you might say.He used his photography to document the real-life experience of other fathers taking full advantage of Sweden's extraordinary program, which allows mothers and fathers to take long, long leaves from their careers so they can care for their newborns.Get this: Sweden grants a total of 480 calendar days of parental leave, with 390 of them paid at 80% of income, with a maximum of 3,160 euros a month or $3,474. The remaining 90 days are paid at a flat-rate benefit of 20 euros a day, or $22.But there's a catch. Fathers have to share that leave with mothers.Read MorePhotographer Johan BavmanSo to promote both parents to raise their children, Sweden has mandated that 60 of the 480 days be "daddy months" or "partner months." If the 60 daddy days aren't used, they are lost, reducing the maximum leave to 420 days.The country also created a "gender equality bonus": the more days that parents share the leave equally, they get a bonus that could total up to 1,500 euros, or $1,649.The idea is for both parents to share the joys and struggles of raising infants.In reality, only 12% of Swedish couples equally share the 480 days of leave, Bavman said, with women continuing to lead the way as the stay-at-home parent and men as the careerist.Still, Bavman mused last summer about how the policy impacts those men who use the full measure of their parental leave.Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.At first, Bavman had difficulty finding such men.But the fathers he did find and photograph, he captured their devotion in realistic imagery."I realized while I was talking to these dads, these dads are struck by how important the bonding is between you and the children," said Bavman, who now has a 3-year-old son, Viggo, with partner Linda Stark, a freelance journalist."I didn't want to bring out fathers as superdads," Bavman said. "I wanted to bring out these role models which people can connect to."I want to have those dads who can also show their tiredness ... which comes with being home with your children. It's a hard full-time job. This is something that we have been taking for granted for hundreds of years. This is something that mothers have never been recognized for."I didn't want to bring out fathers as superdads. I wanted to bring out these role models which people can connect to.Johan BavmanHe also found moments of humor, with one child nearly ripping apart the shirt of his busy father.The fathers have become more understanding of their wives and even their own mothers, Bavman said. Some are now considering a career change to accommodate their parenthood."Being home nine months, they get time to think about their life," the photographer said.Bavman is looking for a total of 60 fathers to photograph, to culminate in an exhibition and a book.So far he's found 35 worthy of his lens.Johan Bavman is a freelance photographer based in Malmo, Sweden. From 2008-2011, he worked as a staff photographer at Sydsvenskan, one of Sweden's largest newspapers.

Laura Smith-Spark, CNN

2015-02-09 01:51:51

news

living

https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/08/living/cnnphotos-a-place-called-home/index.html

Making a 'squat' a home - CNN

Home means many different things to different people.

living, Making a 'squat' a home - CNN

Making a 'squat' a home

Story highlightsPhotographer Corinna Kern joined squatters in London to document their uncommon lifestyleKern's images aim to challenge conventional beliefs of what makes a homeAll the squats Kern visited were in former commercial premises (CNN)Home means many different things to different people. It's an idea that intrigues German-born photographer Corinna Kern, who moved into a squatted commercial building for several months in order to document the uncommon lifestyle unfolding behind its walls.She first visited a squat -- a building occupied by people who don't own it or pay rent -- out of personal interest in April 2013, while she was in London studying for her master's degree. The notion that this interest could be developed into a wider concept only came along a month or two later, she said. The result is a striking collection of photographs and text titled "A Place Called Home," in which she seeks to challenge common preconceptions about squatters -- and explore the idea that home is more a feeling than a physical place.Photographer Corinna KernHaving moved into her new home in a squat in Kentish Town, north London, Kern had to figure out how to coexist in one building with 30 people and three dogs. She also found herself part of a wider alternative community that's both transient and close-knit.Read MoreThrough the connections she made, she visited six other squats in north and south London. One was in a former fabric warehouse, another in an abandoned garden center, a third in a white-walled former design studio."As the squatting scene is very interconnected, I came to discover how diverse squats can be, both in their visual appearance and emotional vibe," she said. "The unusualness of the different places, which may not comply with the idea of home in the common sense, intrigued me and shaped my project."All the squats Kern visited were in former commercial premises. A law enacted in September 2012 made it illegal to squat in residential properties.I came to discover how diverse squats can be, both in their visual appearance and emotional vibe.Corinna KernWith housing costs high in London and affordable options in short supply, squatting can seem an appealing option to some people -- although, as Kern points out, it's not a lifestyle chosen simply because of homelessness or poverty. "What might commonly be perceived as a shelter for the homeless or poor is often a conscious choice of an alternative and communal way of living," she writes in the text accompanying her images. "The squatting lifestyle attracts many individuals on their search for adventure, freedom, friendship and self-discovery. Yet, it demands sacrifices and the ability to change and adapt."The squatters' campaign group SQUASH (Squatters' Action for Secure Homes) says no one knows how many squatters there are nationwide at any one time. But it is clear that tens of thousands of people in the UK have squatted at one time or another, it says.Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.The Empty Homes Agency, an independent charity group that campaigns for empty homes to be used for those in need, estimates that there are currently 610,000 empty homes in England. About one-third of these homes have been empty for six or more months, it says.But since it's now illegal to squat in residential properties, empty or not, squatters have turned to London's disused commercial buildings, many of which have been left empty long-term.When squatters move in, they bring a new life to the space, often surprising in its incongruity. In one of Kern's photographs, taken inside the disused fabric warehouse, a man rests on a shelf used for storing rolls of cloth. He's hard to spot at first among the jumble of multicolored fabric.Other images show "The Castle," a former five-story office block in central London that is now a home for more than 100 squatters -- and a site for raves. Graffiti covers the walls, and party detritus is scattered across the floor where office workers once walked.Another of Kern's photographs, taken in a squat in a former cabaret restaurant, shows a young man and woman, semi-clothed and hard at work to repair and alter their surroundings using cloth and wood.For her project, Kern says, she used only a wide-angle lens to reflect the closeness of her subjects. "The use of natural light adds to a candid feel," she said, adding to the authenticity of the images."I visually tried to convey the very different vibes of the squats that became homes, according to both their residents and the nature of the occupied spaces. Especially for the squat that I stayed at, I focused largely on the communal lifestyle in order to convey a sense of home."Far from encountering resistance as she ventured into people's intimate space, Kern says she made many friends. This was in part because she won people's trust by living among them -- but also because her project aimed to celebrate the positive aspects of their lifestyle rather than reinforce the negative stereotypes of squatters as wasters, tax dodgers or down-and-outs."My fellow squatters knew that I was a photographer documenting the squatting lifestyle, since I was always carrying my camera with me," she said. "The squatters were very welcoming when I first met them, became my friends, hence the majority reacted positively towards me taking photographs."Despite the privations that come with squatting in buildings that often have no electricity or running water, Kern says she would do it again -- although she wants to try out the many other alternative lifestyles out there first.From her images and her words, it's clear she found her time in a squat an overwhelmingly rewarding experience."You may not have a shower, but you may gain the most amazing rooftop views," she writes. "You may have to share your room with seven other people, but you may share your happiest moments with them. You may have to move 10 times a year, but the diverse places and people you meet become an integral part of your journey through life, turning it into anything but ordinary."Corinna Kern is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in South Africa. She is on the Reportage by Getty Images Emerging Talent roster.

Benazir Wehelie, Special to CNN

2015-03-31 23:55:11

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/31/world/cnnphotos-huaorani-rainforest-ecuador/index.html

Amazon natives hold on to tradition - CNN

Deep within the Amazonian rainforest live the Huaorani people, who didn't have any contact with the outside world until the 1960s.

world, Amazon natives hold on to tradition - CNN

Amazon natives hold on to tradition

Story highlightsPhotographer Trupal Pandya took portraits of the Huaorani people in Ecuador's rainforestThe community is beginning to modernize, but it still maintains its traditional ways of living (CNN)Deep within the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador live the Huaorani. Photographer Trupal Pandya traveled about 30 hours by air, water and land to reach this native community and take their portraits. The Huaorani, which means "the people" or "human beings," are believed to have inhabited the rainforest for thousands of years. Until about the 1960s, they never had any contact with the outside world.Pandya said there is a contrast between the modernization of the younger generation, who travel to areas outside of their community, and the older generation, who make efforts to maintain their traditional ways of living. Diverse changes have taken place within the community: the introduction of radios within many Huaorani homes, the consumption of food from cities and the adoption of Westernized clothing. For Pandya, these changes were a significant factor in his decision to photograph the Huaorani. Read MorePhotographer Trupal Pandya"The biggest (reason) was to just go out there and photograph the change before everything changes," Pandya said. "I think if I would have (photographed the Huaorani) 10 years back down the line or a little later than that, I don't think I would have got what I just got." Another aspect of modernization has to do with language. Many Huaorani, who for years have only communicated using a regional dialect, now speak the Ecuadorian native language of Spanish. Pandya speaks English, so he needed translators to interact effectively. But it is apparent from his experiences with the Huaorani that actions can certainly not only speak louder than words, but be more effectual than words when attempting to convey one's intentions. "I never started photographing when I (first) saw (the Huaorani)," he said. "I didn't even have my camera. I waited to let them get used to me around them. I gave myself time to get a little easier around them. Even if you cannot talk in the same language, I feel that you definitely connect to them as a human being."Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.Prior to creating formal portraits using his professional camera equipment and lighting, Pandya took Polaroid photos of the Huaorani that they were then able to keep."I think some of them saw the Polaroid for the first time, so they were really happy to see themselves like that," Pandya said.For his formal portraits, Pandya placed his subjects in front of a solid white background in order to portray the Huaorani in a very direct and concise manner, eliminating the presence of any distractions. "The main reason was to have the focus only on the people and their clothes and nothing else but them as an individual, them as a human being," he said. Pandya's decision to use a white background also proved effective in highlighting the coexistence between the Huaorani and the different kinds of animals they encounter daily in their natural environment. Creating portraits of the Huaorani has been a "fascinating, challenging" experience for Pandya, who is studying photography in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology.After witnessing firsthand the simplicity in which the Huaorani live in harmony with their environment, Pandya said he finds himself thinking about and reflecting upon what it truly means to be satisfied and content with life. "I think the question I ask myself is: 'Who's richer?' " he said. "(This has been) a really big learning curve of how to just live a very beautiful, normal life."Trupal Pandya is an Indian photographer studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Emanuella Grinberg, CNN

2015-03-30 00:22:48

news

living

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/29/living/cnnphotos-montana-indian-reservation/index.html

A glimpse of life on the reservation - CNN

German photographer Felix von der Osten visited an Indian reservation in Montana last year and set out to show the "beauty and richness of the culture."

living, A glimpse of life on the reservation - CNN

A glimpse of life on the reservation

Story highlightsGerman photographer Felix von der Osten spent time at an Indian reservation in MontanaHe set out to show the "beauty and richness of the culture" and arouse curiosity in viewers (CNN)Growing up in Germany, everything Felix von der Osten learned about Native Americans came from the books of 19th-century German writer Karl May.May's most beloved characters, a noble Apache leader named Winnetou and his cowboy blood brother Old Shatterhand, are said to be more popular today in Germany than the works of Thomas Mann, the 20th-century Nobel Prize-winning author of "Death in Venice."It wasn't until von der Osten drove through South Dakota last year, bearing witness to modest homes and trailers on tribal land in the majestic Black Hills, that he realized how one-dimensional his perceptions were.Intrigued, the 25-year-old photographer began researching Native American history. What he learned about its brutal conquest and fraught modern existence inspired him to return to Indian Country to capture the good, the bad and the ugly."I wanted to show a slice of life (through) the beauty and richness of the culture," he said. "I didn't want to do reportage. I wanted to do slow and thoughtful photographs, like historical documents."Read MorePhotographer Felix von der OstenBy chance he landed in Montana's Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, home to 7,000 members of the Gros Ventre (Aaniiih) and the Assiniboine (Nakoda) tribes on 675,147 acres of land near the Canadian border. His American girlfriend had distant relatives living there who supported his idea and invited him to stay in their home.His first stop upon arriving in October was to present his idea to the Fort Belknap tribal leadership. With their approval, he spent his first week walking around without his camera, introducing himself to tribal members and building relationships. "The most important thing was I sat down, listened and learned," he said. "I opened my ears and let them talk so they could teach me."Over time, they opened their homes to him and his camera. His choice of a Pentax 67 medium-format roll film camera forced him to carefully consider each shot, to "create images" in his head before taking them. It left him with a focused body of work.Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.He captured sacred tribal rituals and ceremonies along with the more mundane, familiar aspects of life: the tribal basketball team, a horse grazing in a field, a girl sitting on a bunk bed with a stuffed pony, the inside of a casino.Through conversations with tribal members, he also learned of the harsh realities of life on the reservation, from the difficulties youths face in pursuing educational opportunities to the drug and alcohol addiction killing some members.He put the camera away for some of his most memorable experiences -- a sit in the sweat lodge, dinner with his host family -- the ones that formed lasting relationships and earned him the nickname "the man who crossed the ocean." By revealing just a slice, he hopes to arouse curiosity in viewers and inspire them to learn more "to connect the dots." It's something he plans to continue doing by returning this summer to learn and experience more."The story's not finished," he said. "It's a big sensitive topic and you have to be very careful, and I want to be careful."Felix von der Osten is a German photographer. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.

Ashley Fantz, CNN

2015-03-27 00:26:56

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/us/cnnphotos-girls-behind-bars/index.html

Girls behind bars tell their stories - CNN

Richard Ross' latest collection of photos, "Girls in Justice," conveys the ugliness of a young person's life behind bars.

us, Girls behind bars tell their stories - CNN

Girls behind bars tell their stories

Story highlightsPhotographer Richard Ross shows what life is like for girls in a juvenile detention centerHe wants to "wake people up" about the system and bring about "immediate change" (CNN)When photographer Richard Ross wants to talk to a child at a juvenile detention center, he knocks on their cell door. He asks them if he can come inside.The 67-year-old Californian is used to taking off his shoes when he enters homes, so he does the same in a cell. "Most of the kids, they've never had that kind of respect," he said. "But I give it to them, I give them the power. I sit on the floor so they're looking down on me."Ross doesn't begin by hammering them with questions. He wants to have a conversation. "I say, 'What's gone on in your life?' "Read MoreThe result of that tenderness and patience is Ross' latest collection of photos, "Girls in Justice." The images are unflinching. They convey the ugliness of a young person's life behind bars. The pictures are replete with the unique loneliness, anger and boredom of a juvenile detention center. But the girls also tell their stories alongside the images.Photographer Richard RossOne photo shows a girl in a tan jumpsuit, hand on her head, sitting alone in a drab, cavernous room. "I've been here 17 times," one girl says. Many of the stories are bleak, reflecting adults who endangered the girls or, at the very least, failed repeatedly to protect them. "Mom's a stripper. Dad was an alcoholic, drug addict, murdered last year," said one girl explaining her past. "They took my brother and I away because my dad chained us in the house and tried to burn it down. I lived with my grandma and uncle. The people who are supposed to love you never do."The photos show girls wasting the day in their bunks, staring at the wall. Some struggle with mental illness. The girls obscure their faces or are turned away from the camera. That works to protect their identities, but it also evokes shame. Ross seems to be saying the shame isn't the girls' -- it's ours as a society for jailing children. His images aren't always literal. A photo shot toward an azure sky is framed by concertina wire. A straight-forward photo, of a utility wall holding dozens of scissors, turns the stomach after reading the caption -- the guards need the scissors to cut away any cloth a teenager might use to trying to hang herself. Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.Ross recalled one particularly agonizing interview with a girl who kept telling him, "I can't wait to get out of here so I can kill myself." "She was just a kid, but she was at that place where you have no hope," he said. "I feel all these stories, but that one just hit me hard. I was sobbing. You want to say, 'It will get better,' but you also know the system and you know that you can't say that."Ross, the son of a New York City police officer, had a happy upbringing in a home of modest means. He got into a decent amount of trouble growing up, and he said he could have easily wound up in the justice system. But times were different then, he said, and there's been a cultural turn in America toward criminalizing a child's bad behavior.He recalls a detention-center director in Reno, Nevada, who asked him to visit and take photos. At intake, he photographed a fifth-grader who had been taken to jail because he had acted up in class. You want to say, 'It will get better,' but you also know the system and you know that you can't say that.Richard Ross"This fifth-grader came up to my belt buckle," Ross recalled. "He was drinking warm milk, like someone gave him a cardboard thing of milk. I can still smell that milk. That intake area smelled like elementary school."The child's single mother couldn't pick him up for hours. She was holding down a job that wouldn't allow her to leave until after 6 p.m. The detention-center director sent Ross' photo to every principal in the area to make a point: Children do not belong in lockup, so find another solution. Ross is adamant that he's making photographs to bring about "immediate change." He speaks across the country to law schools and works closely with child welfare advocates. His work has been shown during legislative sessions to illustrate how sorely the juvenile justice system needs fixing."I'm trying to wake people up, make them realize there are lives at stake," he said. "At the same time, I don't, I can't, position myself as the great hope. I might not be able to do much but listen. But I think I'm a good listener, and I think these kids deserve to tell their stories."Richard Ross is a photographer based in California. You can follow his Juvenile in Justice project on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Helena Cavendish de Moura, Special to CNN

2015-03-25 00:07:13

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/world/cnnphotos-sudan-refugees-portraits/index.html

Giving a face to Sudan's refugee crisis - CNN

Pieter ten Hoopen took portraits of refugees at the Mayo camp in Khartoum, Sudan. He set up a studio near a hospital, and it quickly became a sensation.

world, Giving a face to Sudan's refugee crisis - CNN

Giving a face to Sudan's refugee crisis

Story highlightsPieter ten Hoopen took portraits of refugees at the Mayo camp in Khartoum, SudanHe set up a makeshift studio near a hospital, and it quickly became a sensation (CNN)As a well-traveled photographer, Pieter ten Hoopen is no stranger to refugee camps.But he never experienced any like the Mayo camp, which is outside the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. Ten Hoopen was at the camp to photograph a new medical clinic for Emergency, a humanitarian group from Italy. He also hoped to document what life was like for refugees there.His hopes were dashed, however, when he was told he couldn't photograph outside the hospital compound."I had very, very hard restrictions from the Sudanese government. ... They are very well-skilled in keeping the media at bay," ten Hoopen said. Read MoreWith no freedom of movement, much like the refugees themselves, ten Hoopen resorted to an old trick he had used before while traveling in Africa. With the help of refugee hospital workers, he built a makeshift photo studio using hospital bed sheets and other materials available. Photographer Pieter ten HoopenThe studio quickly became a sensation. Once hospital employees volunteered to have their photo taken, lines of refugees began snaking around the hospital grounds waiting to have their portraits taken. One by one, these people sat solemnly to be photographed. It was their time to be acknowledged. There was gravity, earnestness to the way they posed. This was the moment their story would be registered. "This was one of the reasons why I built the studio: to get more material and more narratives from the people," ten Hoopen said.The project quickly became a catalog of the history and identity of the refugees.The photos span several generations -- some of the subjects were born at the refugee camp, some have been there for decades. Women wearing the traditional Sudanese tobe spell out their class and origin by the way it is wrapped. From the Muslim north, women are fully covered -- a contrast to women from the Christian south, who we also see represented in these photos. Whether from Sudan, South Sudan or Eritrea, the faces become, individually and collectively, a portrait of the endless wars that have shaped the Horn of Africa.Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.The word refugee often conjures up images of faceless crowds fleeing conflict, their existence only registered in terms of statistics and graphs. Ten Hoopen wanted to give his subjects the ability to express themselves freely."They got very serious, they sat down upright. ... I tried to say as little as possible," he said. "I do believe in their own expressions, their own narrative ... and their unique perspective."The studio had a comforting effect. It was a haven from the hustling and bustling of the camp hospital. It gave the photographer an opportunity to meet his subject matter eye to eye, giving each person their deserved attention. Aesthetically, it created an aura around each person, beaming light on his or her personal narrative. It had some uplifting effects as well."I always try to put some extra thought to (projects). So I build classic photo studios like they have in any small towns in the African continent or in Europe ... just to give people a little bit of the feeling they are special for a short time and that someone really photographs them in an official way," ten Hoopen said.He said some patients at the hospital "had being laying there for months in their room. ... Then you take them out, it's a little treat to get them out of their own misery. ... That's why you see the line growing, because they see people laughing when they come out of the studio." I build classic photo studios ... just to give people a little bit of the feeling they are special for a short time and that someone really photographs them in an official way.Pieter ten HoopenTen-month-old Buseiwa was not laughing when she entered the studio. Having just had a blood test for malaria, she clearly looked uneasy. Gazing to someone who is holding her hand, her eyes connect with this parental figure as a source of strength.Hawa Haranan, 40, came from the war-torn Darfur region before getting a job as a cleaner at the hospital. As she wears a simple tobe, one can almost see the emotions behind her leonine stare. Her life and struggle, as with the other individuals photographed, is accounted for with the testimony of a camera. Ten Hoopen used tilt-shift lenses, which are normally used with the large-format cameras used in classic photography."I really can appreciate old portraiture ... when people got their portrait taken in a way that was loaded, I think, with respect and it was a very serious moment," he said. "It's a slow way of working where you have to put all your focus into one person sitting in front of you." How did ten Hoopen gain the trust of so many uneasy refugees, some severely traumatized and living in fear? "It wasn't hard," he said. "I just told them to relax and have fun."Kids sometimes got nervous, and I don't blame them. I am a tall, white, bald European guy. ... I am not only funny to look at, but it is hot in that country so I am usually very red when I am photographing. ... I have tattoos everywhere. ... They thought I was a quite interesting creature."Pieter ten Hoopen is a photographer based in Stockholm, Sweden. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Benazir Wehelie, Special to CNN

2015-03-18 00:02:38

news

living

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/17/living/cnnphotos-british-show-animals/index.html

Show animals and their proud handlers - CNN

Jooney Woodward's portraits focus on the inexplicable yet noticeable bonds that exist between show animals and their handlers.

living, Show animals and their proud handlers - CNN

Show animals and their proud handlers

Story highlightsJooney Woodward took portraits of show animals and their handlers in the UKThe livestock shows are just as much business events as they are social gatherings (CNN)Every year, animal handlers travel throughout England and Wales to compete at agricultural shows. Jooney Woodward's "Best in Show" is a documentation of those competitions, with photos that place a spotlight on the handlers and their animals. "When you go to (the shows), they tend to be all about the animals -- people photographing the animals," Woodward said. "I just wanted to turn my attention onto the people because they're so committed to what they do. They're really devoted and hardworking."While those involved with the competitions are the focus of many press photographers, Woodward's work stands out for its distinctive portraiture style. "My work is a bit more composed. I use a medium-format camera and a tripod, so it is a bit more static in a way," she said. "I think everybody is so proud of their animals that when I said to them that, 'I'd love a portrait of you and your cow,' everyone was more than willing to give up their time and help because they're so passionate about what they do."Read MorePhotographer Jooney WoodwardThe "Best in Show" portraits lead viewers down a winding pathway to ponder those inexplicable yet noticeable connections and bonds that exist between the handlers and their animals. Woodward's photos also contain subtle details. For example, the symbols and signs on the wall behind Wendy and her Hereford yearling heifer Mandalay Juliette are just as significant as the handler and her animal. "It's just the way (Wendy) had gone through the effort of decorating the pen (with Union Jacks) where the cows were being kept," Woodward said. "There's also a sign behind (her) ... and there's a picture of a gentleman with a cow, who is actually her husband who had died a few years ago. ... I just thought that was nice, something quite sentimental about that." There are not only sentimental subtleties within "Best in Show," but also fun and interesting ones as well. This is especially evident in the photo of the traditional Welsh pigs being judged, as Woodward points out there is an advertisement for sausages behind the pigs.I just wanted to turn my attention onto the people because they're so committed to what they do. They're really devoted and hardworking.Photographer Jooney WoodwardRegardless of what elements make up Woodward's photos, the emotions and aesthetics remain particularly important.Woodward said that when photographing Jamie and his Jersey cow, his happiness and smile made her want to "share that sense of enjoyment" that handlers have when competing with their animals in the shows. What drew Woodward to Harriet and her guinea pig Gentleman Jack were the similar colors radiating from both of them. Her photo of the pair won the National Portrait Gallery's Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize in 2011. "(Harriet) was like a steward, she was sort of judging the guinea pigs. And she also had her own guinea pig with her, which had red as well," Woodward said. "I just thought that was incredibly striking. I thought, 'I've got to get a shot of that.' "The dynamics of the competitions foster a community atmosphere in which everybody becomes acquainted with one another after having traveled to different shows for so many years. Woodward said this was an enjoyable aspect of her work because "you get to see lots of familiar faces."Social mediaFollow @CNNPhotos on Twitter to join the conversation about photography.She has learned about the pride the handlers have toward their animals, and many of her presumptions about the competitions have now changed after having worked on "Best in Show.""I think when I first started going, I was sort of thinking the shows would be more novelty, fun things for these people," she said. "But, actually, it isn't really; it's quite a serious thing, because they can make money from breeding."In addition to handlers earning significant money from breeding, they are also able to achieve recognition for their livestock. Those competing have a lot at stake when they make the decision to travel and compete, because the shows are just as much business events as they are social gatherings. The competitions are also rather family-oriented, and Woodward said that while adults compete, their sons, daughters and grandchildren are involved as well. The younger generations are likely to one day take over the responsibility of running the family farms, and everyone that participates seems to have a strong sense of pride and passion for agriculture."I think it's something I will always document for the rest of my life, and see how things change," Woodward said. "It was challenging, insightful and fun."Jooney Woodward is a British photographer based in London. You can follow her on Instagram.

Laura Klairmont, CNN

2018-05-31 19:37:50

health

health

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/31/health/cnnheroes-ricardo-pun-chong-inspira/index.html

Needy families slept on hospital floors until one doctor started a shelter - CNN

CNN Hero Dr. Ricardo Pun-Chong's Peruvian non-profit, Inspira, provides free housing, meals and overall support for sick kids and their families while they undergo treatment.

health, Needy families slept on hospital floors until one doctor started a shelter - CNN

Needy families slept on hospital floors until one doctor started a shelter

Lima, Peru (CNN)As part of his medical training, Dr. Ricardo Pun-Chong spent time doing rounds in hospitals throughout Lima, the capital of Peru. Day after day, he noticed families sleeping on the floors. JUST WATCHEDEn EspañolReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHEn Español 03:16Many of them, he learned, had come from faraway villages, with little or no money, to get medical treatment for their children. Navigating the country's difficult terrain -- which spans the Andes Mountains to the Amazon -- often means traversing unpaved roads and can make for a dangerous trip."The journey, it's very difficult," Pun-Chong said. "People have to cross the mountains or take a boat to cross the river. It can take many days. Just imagine having this trip with a kid with cancer."Read MoreFar from home and loved ones, and unable to pay for a place to stay in Lima, many families found themselves homeless while fighting for their children's lives. "I couldn't get the picture of the families sleeping on the floor out of my mind," Pun-Chong said. "So, I decided to do something for them." Since 2008, Pun-Chong's nonprofit, Inspira, has provided free housing, meals and overall support for sick children and their families while they undergo treatment. The organization has helped more than 900 families who've come from all over Peru. Pun-Chong, who lives a few blocks from the shelter and is there almost every day, runs the organization with the help of a small staff and an army of passionate volunteers. He spends every holiday with the families there. "The kids inspire me every day," Pun-Chong said. "When I'm with these kids, and I feel how strong they are, I understand that there are no problems that we can't resolve." CNN's Laura Klairmont spoke with Pun-Chong about his work. Below is an edited version of their conversation. CNN: What are some of the obstacles facing these families? Ricardo Pun-Chong: We have people who come from the Amazon, travel on a boat and from there take a bus. And you're with a sick child, with a fever. Once they reach the city, they don't have any resources. Sometimes they don't even speak Spanish; they speak Quechua, Aymara or other dialects. For leukemia, the most frequent cancer in kids, the first treatment is about six months. But to stay here is too expensive. Sometimes families, they have to sell everything they have. They feel helpless. They feel really alone. They either have to make it work and stay, or they make the difficult trip back home without their children receiving full treatment. CNN: What kind of environment have you created at the shelter? Pun-Chong: The shelter is a very special place. We not only wanted people to have a place to sleep and food to eat, we also wanted to create a space to help the kids be cured. It's a place with a lot of love. I don't want it to feel like a house, I want it to feel like a home. In the shelter we don't have TV because I prefer to talk to the kids and teach them how to create things. I want them to use their imagination. The families can stay in our shelter as long as they need, and I want them to know they are not alone, there are a lot of people that are with them. JUST WATCHEDCNN Hero Ricardo Pun-Chong: It's the little thingsReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN Hero Ricardo Pun-Chong: It's the little things 01:33CNN: What is the unique approach you take with the children? Pun-Chong: Here we live the day-to-day, but we don't talk about tumors and surgeries and cancer. When I go to the shelter, I leave my stethoscope at home. I come in here as Ricardo, not as a doctor. I want each and every one of them to feel special. I try to lift the spirits of these kids who probably have just undergone surgery. I play and have fun with them and make sure that during this hard time, these kids get to just act like kids. We are doing everything we can to connect and engage with them. We listen to stories, color, paint, play in the park, ride bicycles. We try to give these kids special things and special experiences. I try to make them laugh, to enjoy themselves. I want these kids to play, to learn, to share. I want to help them to be the happiest they can be. Want to get involved? Check out the Inspira website and see how to help.To donate to Inspira, click the CrowdRise widget below.Ricardo Pun, Shelter for Kids with Cancer on CrowdRise

Allie Torgan, CNN

2018-05-10 18:14:39

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/10/world/cnnheroes-neal-bermas-streets-international/index.html

New Yorker moves to Vietnam to help at-risk youth - CNN

CNN Hero Neal Bermas' non-profit STREETS International provides at-risk youth with a rigorous training program, preparing them for careers in Vietnam's booming culinary and hospitality industries.

world, New Yorker moves to Vietnam to help at-risk youth - CNN

From tourist to altruist, how a New Yorker embraced Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam (CNN)New Yorker Neal Bermas had traveled around the world, but Vietnam literally stopped him in his tracks.There, the businessman saw starving children in Ho Chi Minh City while on a trip to Asia in 1999."There were bands of these poor, homeless kids on the streets ... and they were begging for milk, not for money," Bermas said. "It stayed with me."CNN Hero Neal BermasBermas, who did consulting for hotels and restaurants, saw there was an effort under way to help street kids get simple food service jobs. He realized he could help. Combining his business savvy with an ambitious nonprofit model, in 2007 he co-founded STREETS International, based in Hoi An. The organization provides at-risk young people with a rigorous 18-month training program, preparing them for careers in Vietnam's booming culinary and hospitality industries.Read More"(They) come from the whole country with all kinds of very, very difficult paths," Bermas said. "We offer them a structured program and a very rich apprenticing experience."STREETS' participants range in age from 16 to 22. The group provides housing, meals, medical care, clothing and support services to help trainees gain skills and confidence for employment at top resorts.Some come from more than 600 miles away to participate in the free program. They receive a stipend and transportation assistance to visit their family."We build possibilities and aspirations for those communities," Bermas said. "Where we take one young person from the village, suddenly ... the whole village starts to think about, 'maybe my kid, too.'"Currently, 75 trainees are enrolled. The group's full-time staff and teachers are all Vietnamese, and Bermas often brings in chefs and other experts to enhance the training. He and his team work with the government and ensure they follow all safety and labor laws and regulations.JUST WATCHEDCNN Hero Neal Bermas: 'Oodles of Noodles'ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN Hero Neal Bermas: 'Oodles of Noodles' 02:39By the end of this year, nearly 250 young people will have completed the program. Bermas said 100% of STREETS graduates have found employment, mostly at four- and five-star hotels in Vietnam. "It works. And that's a push to do more to reach more young people," he said, adding that the group stays in regular contact with all graduates for at least two years after graduation, most longer. Bermas plans to expand the program to other areas of the country. CNN's Allie Torgan spoke with Bermas about his work. Below is an edited version of their conversation. CNN: Who are the young people applying to your program?Bermas: All the young people in our program come from poverty -- without enough to eat, without electricity and plumbing. From leprosy villages, from HIV backgrounds; some have been trafficked, sometimes more than once.Part of the process of selecting and getting to know the trainees is that we visit wherever they're from -- the home, in many cases the orphanage, the NGO, the isolated village, sometimes even a street corner. We want to know the most about them we possibly can, how difficult their conditions have been and how they have been wounded by life. Or what support there is. It's a great resource to a young person's development in our program.This is the first real chance for many (of them) to transition from poverty and life on the streets to the dignity of self-sufficiency that comes with a successful career. You shouldn't discount a young person's future because of their past, no matter how dire it's been.CNN: You've created an extensive program. Besides the hands-on culinary and hospitality training, what else is involved?Bermas: There's a whole team of colleagues, educators and professionals who have worked developing all this. We have daily curriculums and lesson plans, from the first day to the last day -- designed to deliver quite sophisticated, substantive material.We have a computer language lab. We have tutoring every day of the week. English language instruction is a big part. And a whole array of life skills, from hygiene to CPR, budgeting and banking, physical exercise and being healthy.Depending on which track the trainees are going, they have classroom experience in a small teaching kitchen if they're becoming professional chefs, or in the classroom to learn about hospitality and service. And our three eateries have many purposes; each one brings a different set of skills for apprenticing. CNN: You left Manhattan behind to do this. Why did you decide to move to Vietnam?Bermas: The truth is, the early vision was that I would work with colleagues and assemble a team here. And I could travel back and forth and make sure everything was going well.It became clear very early on that if I was to really realize this ambition on behalf of the young people in the program, I would have to be here and do it. It was probably the best, if not certainly the most meaningful, decision I've made in my adult life.This work at STREETS is never easy, but it's important. I know now that I need to be sure there is a STREETS around 10 years from now.CNN: You've kept your focus on the local community. How have they embraced you?Bermas: It's traditional here in Vietnam when you open a new business that the business community and friends and family all send you large wreaths of flowers opening day to wish you good luck.The day we opened the restaurant -- we'd been working so hard to open, to get this thing going -- and I came down the street, and there were so many of these big, beautiful wreaths full of flowers that said in Vietnamese, "Congratulations" and "Welcome." And who had sent them? All the local shops and friends we had made. I was so touched by this. The flowers poured out into the street. It was amazing. I literally couldn't get in the front door of the restaurant. Want to get involved? Check out the STREETS International website and see how to help.To donate to STREETS, click the CrowdRise widget below.Neal Bermas, STREETS International on CrowdRise

Laura Klairmont, CNN

2018-04-19 18:05:14

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/19/world/cnnheroes-brisa-de-angulo-a-breeze-of-hope-foundation/index.html

At 17, this sexual abuse survivor set out to fix a broken system - CNN

CNN Hero Brisa De Angulo founded A Breeze of Hope Foundation in Bolivia -- the group provides free and comprehensive psychological, legal, medical and social services for child and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse.

world, At 17, this sexual abuse survivor set out to fix a broken system - CNN

At 17, this sexual abuse survivor set out to fix a broken system

Cochabamba, Bolivia (CNN)Brisa De Angulo grew up in Bolivia and remembers having a wonderful childhood. That is, until she was 15. That's when she suffered repeated sexual abuse by an adult in her extended family. CNN Hero Brisa De AnguloHis threats to hurt other family members silenced her. She fell into a deep depression, dropped out of school and developed an eating disorder. She made multiple suicide attempts. When she finally gained the courage to tell her parents about the abuse, they reported it to the police and took the case to court. But they had trouble finding a lawyer willing to take the case. Members of her community worked to silence her. Her home was set on fire twice, and people tried to run her down with their cars."There was a lot of pressure for me to stay silent, but I just couldn't stay silent," said De Angulo, now 30. "I found out that I wasn't alone, that there were tons of girls that were also being sexually abused, and I had to do something." Read MoreOf the 12 countries that make up South America, Bolivia has the highest rates of sexual violence against women -- with seven in 10 women experiencing it in their lifetime.In 2004, at 17 years old, De Angulo established Fundación Una Brisa de Esperanza -- or A Breeze of Hope Foundation. At its center in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the group provides free and comprehensive psychological, legal, medical and social services for child and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse. "We work with the families...to see (the) child as a very powerful survivor, and to have the support that she needs so that she can take her case to court, and she can heal," De Angulo said.The organization also advocates for legal reforms and policy changes for the rights of abuse survivors in Bolivia. "I had to use the rest of my life to prevent other girls from going through what I went through," said De Angulo, whose extensive team has assisted about 1,500 young survivors. CNN spoke with De Angulo about her work. Below is an edited version of the conversation. CNN: Sexual violence has long been prevalent in Bolivia. What are the cultural stereotypes you're working to combat? Brisa De Angulo: We see it a lot in Bolivia, that a woman is seen as having less value than men, and that starts even before the baby is born. If it's a boy, then you're in this culture of being more aggressive, the one who has control. If you're a girl, then you're this one who has to be submissive, not make problems and sit quietly. Even from a very young age, their path is already set.We need to start changing that mentality so that they can be born in a context where they will be seen as equal. One of our most powerful ways of challenging the machismo culture is to work with pregnant women, to work with that family, to start challenging the stereotypical roles. We also work a lot with prevention by giving workshops, training people -- people from government, police officers, judges, prosecutors, children in school.CNN: Your experiences inspired you to pursue your law degree. What impact has your organization's legal efforts had? De Angulo: When I went to the authorities, I was blamed for what happened to me, I was questioned for many hours. I was told that I was insensitive for wanting to put a man in jail, for wanting to destroy my family. I was one of the first adolescents in Bolivia to take my case to court, but the judges didn't want to take my case. When we started the program, the conviction rate for sexual crimes was .02 percent. From the hundreds of cases that we've taken to court, we have a 95 percent conviction rate. When I was taking my case to court, at the time, it was normal for an aggressor to question the victim on trial. It wasn't a lawyer, it wasn't the judge; it was the aggressor. Through our work, we've proved that that is a human rights violation and have changed the law. Another law is that if the aggressor married the victim, you couldn't take the aggressor to court for rape. That was being used to marry a 13-year-old with a 40-year-old just to make sure that this man will never be taken to court for rape crimes. Thanks to all our work and our push to the government, we have been able to overturn this law. CNN: The country now has an annual Walk Against Sexual Violence. How did that come about? De Angulo: August 9 was one of the hardest days of my life because it was the day I had to go to court and face my aggressor. I started telling my story and asking people if they would join me on a walk against sexual violence and use a blue ribbon, meaning that you were against sexual violence. (The first year) I thought there were only going to be about 20 people who would join me. But that day, thousands of people showed up with a blue ribbon. August 9 was later declared the National Day Against Sexual Violence in Bolivia. Now thousands of people all around the country, in the most remote communities, march on August 9. It's beautiful because sometimes you are walking in the street and you see someone with a blue ribbon and you just look at their eyes and you know that we're in this together. And you don't have to say any words, but you know that you're not alone.Want to get involved? Check out the A Breeze of Hope Foundation website and see how to help.To donate to A Breeze of Hope Foundation, click the CrowdRise widget below.Brisa de Angulo, A Breeze of Hope Foundation on CrowdRise

Lisa Cohen, CNN

2015-04-03 09:52:14

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/03/world/cambodia-child-sex-trafficking/index.html

The child sex trade in Cambodia - CNN

"If people weren't trying to buy child sex it wouldn't be being sold." Actress and activist Mira Sorvino talks about the child sex trade in Cambodia.

world, The child sex trade in Cambodia - CNN

Sold by their mothers: Shining a light on the child sex trade in Cambodia

The CNN Freedom Project wants to amplify the voices of the victims of modern-day slavery, highlight success stories and help unravel the tangle of criminal enterprises trading in human life. (CNN)When Kieu was 12, her mother asked her to take a job. But not just any job. Kieu was first examined by a doctor, who issued her a "certificate of virginity." She was then delivered to a hotel, where a man raped her for two days.In 2013, the Freedom Project went to Cambodia with Oscar-winning actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador against Human Trafficking, Mira Sorvino. The result was "Every Day in Cambodia: A CNN Freedom Project Documentary," which looked at child sex trafficking in the country.In Svay Pak, a notorious child sex trafficking hub in Phnom Penh, Sorvino met Kieu, who was then around 14 years old. She had been rescued from sex trafficking by Agape International Missions (AIM), a non-profit for trafficked and at risk children and teenagers. Kieu told of how she had been sold aged 12 by her mother to a Khmer man of "maybe more than 50" who had three children of his own, Sorvino explained in her Cambodia journal: "The price set in advance for her virginity: $1,500, though she was ultimately only given $1,000, of which she had to give $400 to the woman who brought her to the man. Her mother used the money to pay down a debt and for food for the fish they raise under their floating house -- their primary income source."Beforehand, Kieu said, 'I did not know what the job was and whether it was good for me. I had no idea what to expect. But now I know the job was not good for me.' After she lost her virginity to the man, she felt 'very heartbroken.' Her mother supposedly felt bad too, but still sent her to work in a brothel. Kieu said she did not want to go, but had to. She said, 'They held me like I was in prison.'"Read MoreShe was kept there for three days, raped by three to six men a day. When she returned home, her mother sent her away for stints in two other brothels, including one 400 kilometers away on the Thai border. When she learned her mother was planning to sell her again, this time for a six-month stretch, she realized she needed to flee her home. Read her full story hereHer story is all too common in Svay Pak; she was just one of the girls whose stories were told in the film. Fast forward to 2015 and "Everyday in Cambodia" was named "outstanding documentary" by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, winning a Gracie Allen award. Sorvino says the film has raised awareness of the issue of child sex trafficking in Svay Pak and Cambodia, helping to raise funds for AIM to build a school that, when completed, will offer hope for more than 1,000 children in the region. "Primary and especially secondary education is extremely important in preventing trafficking," she says. "It allows children to develop critical thinking skills to be able to defend themselves from traffickers and to have the skills that will enable them to have gainful employment to be able to support their families in other ways than being sexually exploited."AIM also now works with an "incorruptible" police SWAT team to raid brothels where children are working.But Sorvino adds that it's not just about helping the victims. "The demand side really needs to be addressed," she says. "If people weren't trying to buy child sex it wouldn't be being sold."Watch the video above to find out more. More from the CNN Freedom Project.

Sugam Pokharel

2014-06-26 18:27:30

news

asia

https://www.cnn.com/2014/06/26/world/asia/freedom-project-nepals-organ-trail/index.html

Nepal's Organ Trail: How traffickers steal kidneys - CNN

CNN Freedom Project. In Nepal, organ traffickers are duping villagers into having operations and taking their kidneys.

asia, Nepal's Organ Trail: How traffickers steal kidneys - CNN

Nepal's Organ Trail: How traffickers steal kidneys

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN)On the streets of Kathmandu, the sight of people begging for kidney treatment has become common. The capital of Nepal is no different from many places in the world where aging populations, poor diets and no health insurance systems mean increased organ disease. The organ in highest demand is the kidney and black market traffickers are meeting that demand. Up to 7,000 kidneys are obtained illegally every year, according to a report by Global Financial Integrity. Organ trafficking is an illegal, yet thriving trade around the globe. That same report shows the illegal organ trade generates profits between $514 million to $1 billion a year. Read MoreIn Kathmandu, we spotted a couple begging on the street for their son's kidney treatment. Jeet Bahadur Magar and his wife spent their entire savings to treat their son's kidney disease.Out of money and options, they are now out on the street hoping to raise enough funds to cover the medical bills. "I pray to God that no one has to ever go through kidney failure problems," Jeet Bahadur said. But many Nepalis do. JUST WATCHEDWatch the full documentary: Nepal's Organ TrailReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHWatch the full documentary: Nepal's Organ Trail 21:21During our visit, Nepal Kidney Center in Kathmandu was packed with patients having dialysis -- a grueling four-hour process of purifying blood through a machine. A patient can avoid the kidney transplant by having dialysis at least three times a week. Those lucky enough to afford a transplant still face obstacles: the donor must match the blood group of the recipients and Nepali law requires the organ donor to be a family member. Nepal's 'kidney bank'We traveled to Kavre, a tiny district close to Kathmandu, and what activists and authorities say is a ground zero for the black market organ trade in Nepal. Here, kidney trafficking rackets -- well organized and well funded -- dupe the poor and uneducated into giving away a piece of themselves. The district has developed an unfortunate reputation as the "kidney bank of Nepal."For more than 20 years, activists say, people from villages in Kavre have been the primary source of kidneys for sick and desperate patients throughout Nepal. But now the numbers are being tracked. In the last five years more than 300 people have been reported to be victims of kidney traffickers in this district alone, according to Forum for Protection of People's Rights, a Kathmandu-based non-profit human rights organization. Some activists say the number is much higher."Social stigma and threats from traffickers keep many victims from coming forward," said Rajendra Ghimire, a human rights lawyer, and director of Forum for Protection of People's Rights.'The meat will grow back'Nawaraj Pariyar is one of the many victims of kidney traffickers. Like many in Kavre, Pariyar makes a living from selling cattle milk and doing seasonal labor jobs on nearby farms. Poor and uneducated, all he has is two cows, a house and a tiny plot of land.JUST WATCHEDVictims tell their story.ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHVictims tell their story. 01:01Pariyar used to visit Kathmandu to find construction work. He was on a site in 2000 when the foreman approached him with a dubious offer: if he let doctors cut out a "hunk of meat" from his body, he would be given 30 lakhs -- about $30,000. What he wasn't told: the piece of "meat" was actually his kidney. "The foreman told me that the meat will grow back," Pariyar said. "Then I thought, 'If the meat will regrow again, and I get about $30,000, why not?'""What if I die?" Pariyar remembers asking the foreman. The foreman assured Pariyar that nothing would happen. He was given good food and clothes, and was even taken to see a movie. Then he was escorted to a hospital in Chennai, a southern state of India. Traffickers assigned a fake name to Pariyar and told the hospital he was a relative of the recipient. The traffickers, Pariyar says, had all the fake documents ready to prove his false identity. "At the hospital, the doctor asked me if the recipient was my sister. I was told by the traffickers to say yes. So I did," Pariyar said. "I heard them repeatedly saying 'kidney'. But I had no idea what 'kidney' meant. I only knew Mirgaula (the Nepali term for kidney.) "Since I didn't know the local language, I couldn't understand any conversation between the trafficker and the hospital staff."Pariyar was discharged and sent home with about 20,000 Nepali rupees -- less than one percent of the agreed amount -- and a promise he would have the rest shortly. He never received any more money and never found the trafficker. "After I came back to Nepal, I had a doubt. So, I went to the doctor. That's when I found out I am missing a kidney," Pariyar said. Pariyar is now sick and getting worse by the day. He has a urinary problem and constant severe back pain. But he cannot afford a trip to the doctor and is afraid he will die. JUST WATCHEDDuped into donating kidneysReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHDuped into donating kidneys 01:26"If I die I can only hope for the government to take care of my two children. I don't know if I will die today or tomorrow. I'm just counting my days," Pariyar said. Pariyar's experience is one of many similar stories we heard in Kavre. Understanding the economic situation in this district is the key to understanding why so many people here easily fall prey to kidney traffickers. There are hardly any other economic opportunities other than substantial farming and rearing livestock. One bad harvest or a big medical bill can easily ruin families. "The main reason is poverty and lack of awareness. It is very easy for the traffickers to brainwash the villagers. Also, the villages in Kavre are close to the capital and are easily accessible," Ghimire said. Indian linksTraffickers use proxies at different stages of the process. First, someone will approach the victim, another will create the donor's fake documents and then another will escort the donor to the hospital. Few hospitals in Nepal perform kidney transplants. And even the doctors in Nepal know most well-heeled patients prefer to go across the border to India. Two brothers who were duped by kidney traffickers show their scars"They want better services, they want Indian doctors. That's why they go to the hospitals in India," said Dr. Rishi Kumar Kafle, Director of the National Kidney Center. But activists have other explanations for the demand for Indian surgeries."It is hard to cross-check Nepali records across the border, so traffickers prefer to take the donors to India," Ghimire said. We noted, before any kidney operation can be carried out in India, the hospital requires a No Objection Certificate, a letter drafted by the Nepali embassy in New Delhi confirming the donor as the kidney recipient's relative. Photographs of the recipient and the relative, who would be the legitimate donor, were not included in the letter until recently. Since Indian hospitals accept official Nepali documents, anyone could show up at the hospital, provide papers saying they were that person and have their kidney removed. Activists say this is the loophole traffickers used for many years. With the easy availability of forged documents, traffickers can beat the system. While the Nepali government tries to tighten policies, Nepal's police officers are trying to crack down on the criminal rings. Last year authorities arrested 10 people accused of organ trafficking in Kavre. Their case is still in court. Sub-inspector Dipendra Chand, who led the police investigation, says stopping the underground trade is difficult. "If we crackdown in one village, the traffickers simply move to another," Chand said. Rajendra Ghimire says that the trafficking rings are now moving beyond Kavre. "We have reports that this problem is expanding into other surrounding districts as well," Ghimire said. The attention to this problem is growing in Kavre. Kidney trafficking stories are making headlines on the local and national newspapers. But for victims like Pariyar and others, the media attention is too late.

Julie Guinan, CNN

2015-04-02 14:58:31

news

world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/02/world/iyw-guatemala-gender-violence/index.html

Guatemala: Gender-based violence at epidemic levels - CNN

In Guatemala, nearly ten out of every 100,000 women are killed. The country ranks third in murder of women worldwide. But there is hope for the future.

world, Guatemala: Gender-based violence at epidemic levels - CNN

Nearly 20 years after peace pact, Guatemala's women relive violence

Story highlightsGender-based violence is at epidemic levels in GuatemalaAccording to the United Nations, two women are killed in Guatemala every dayFive abuse survivors known as La Poderosas have been appearing in a play based on their real life storiesCNN's Julie Guinan went to Guatemala, as part of a CARE Learning Tour. (CNN)For 12 years Adelma Cifuentes felt worthless, frightened and alone, never knowing when her abusive husband would strike. But as a young mother in rural Guatemala with three children and barely a third grade education, she thought there was no way out. What began as psychological torment, name-calling and humiliation turned into beatings so severe Cifuentes feared for her life. One day, two men sent by her husband showed up at her house armed with a shotgun and orders to kill her. They probably would have succeeded, but after the first bullet was fired, Cifuentes' two sons dragged her inside. Still, in her deeply conservative community, it took neighbors two hours to call for help and Cifuentes lost her arm. But the abuse didn't stop there. When she returned home, Cifuentes' husband continued his attacks and threatened to rape their little girl unless she left. That's when the nightmare finally ended and her search for justice began.Guatamala's past still hauntsRead MoreCifuentes' case is dramatic, but in Guatemala, where nearly 10 out of every 100,000 women are killed, it's hardly unusual. Many women in Guatemala's patriarcal socity are trapped in a cycle of violence.A 2012 Small Arms Survey says gender-based violence is at epidemic levels in Guatemala and the country ranks third in the killings of women worldwide. According to the United Nations, two women are killed there every day. There are many reasons why, beginning with the legacy of violence left in place after the country's 36-year-old civil war. During the conflict, atrocities were committed against women, who were used as a weapon of war. In 1996, a ceasefire agreement was reached between insurgents and the government. But what followed and what remains is a climate of terror, due to a deeply entrenched culture of impunity and discrimination. Military and paramilitary groups that committed barbaric acts during the war were integrated back into society without any repercussions. Many remain in power, and they have not changed the way they view women.Some 200,000 people were either killed or disappeared during the decades-long conflict, most of them from indigenous Mayan populations. Nearly 20 years later, according to the Security Sector Reform Resource Centre, levels of violent crime are higher in Guatemala than they were during the war. But despite the high homicide rate, the United Nations estimates 98% of cases never make it to court. Women are particularly vulnerable because of a deep-rooted gender bias and culture of misogyny. In many cases, femicide -- the killing of a woman simply because of her gender -- is carried out with shocking brutality with some of the same strategies used during the war, including rape, torture and mutilation.Explosion in violence Mexican drug cartels, organized criminal groups and local gangs are contributing to the vicious cycle of violence and lawlessness. Authorities investigating drug-related killings are stretched thin, leaving fewer resources to investigate femicides. In many cases, crime is not reported because of fear of retaliation. Many consider the Guatamalen National Civil Police, or PNC, corrupt, under-resourced and ineffective. Even if a case does get prosecuted, according to Human Rights Watch, the country's weak judicial system has proved incapable of handling the explosion in violence. Prevailing culture of machismo Perhaps one of the biggest challenges facing women in Guatemala is the country's deeply rooted patriarchal society. According to María Machicado Terán, the representative of U.N. women in Guatemala, "80% of men believe that women need permission to leave the house, and 70% of women surveyed agreed." This prevailing culture of machismo and an institutionalized acceptance of brutality against women leads to high rates of violence. Rights groups say machismo not only condones violence, it places the blame on the victim.Make an impact: Help stop gender-based violence CARE provides medical, legal, psychosocial and protection services to those experiencing violenceU.S. National Committee for UN Women promotes social, political and economic equality for women and girls The political will to address violence against women is slow to materialize. "Politicians don't think women are important," says former Secretary General of the Presidential Secretariat for Women Elizabeth Quiroa. "Political parties use women for elections. They give them a bag of food and people sell their dignity for this because they are poor."Lack of education is a major contributor to this poverty. Many girls, especially in indigenous communities don't go to school because the distance from their house to the classroom is too far.Quiroa says "They are subject to rape, violence and forced participation in the drug trade." Signs of progressAlthough the situation for girls and women in Guatemala is alarming, there are signs the culture of discrimination may be slowly changing. With the help of an organization known as CICAM, or Centro de Investigación, Cifuentes was finally able to escape her husband and get the justice she deserved. He is now spending 27 years behind bars. Cifuentes is using her painful past to provide hope and healing to others through art. Since 2008, she and four other abuse survivors known as La Poderosas, or "The Powerful," have been appearing in a play based on their real life stories. Five Guatemalan abuse survivors known as La Poderosas or "The Powerful" share their stories and help other women get support.The show not only empowers other women and discusses the problem of violence openly, but it also offers suggestions for change. And it's having an impact. Women have started breaking their silence and asking where they can get support. Men are reacting, too. One of the main characters, Lesbia Téllez, says during one presentation, a man stood up and started crying when he realized how he had treated his wife and how his mother had been treated. He said he wanted to be different.The taboo topic of gender-based violence is also being acknowledged and recognized in a popular program targeting one of Guatemala's most vulnerable groups, indigenous Mayan girls. In 2004, with help from the United Nations and other organizations, the Population Council launched a community-based club known as Abriendo Oportunidades, or "Opening Opportunities". The goal is to provide girls with a safe place to learn about their rights and reach their full potential. Senior Program Coordinator Alejandra Colom says the issue of violence is discussed and girls are taught how to protect themselves. "They then share this information with their mothers and for the first time, they realize they are entitled to certain rights." Colom adds that mothers then become invested in sending their daughters to the clubs and this keeps them more visible and less prone to violence.The Guatemalan government is also moving in the right direction to address the problem of violence against women. In 2008, the Congress passed a law against femicide. Two years later the attorney general's office created a specialized court to try femicides and other violent crimes against women. In 2012, the government established a joint task force for crimes against women, making it easier for women to access justice by making sure victims receive the assistance they need. The government has also established a special 24-hour court to attend to femicide cases. On the global front, the International Violence Against Women Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2007; it has been pending ever since. But last week the act was reintroduced in both the House and Senate. If approved, it would make reducing levels of gender-based violence a U.S. foreign policy priority.Pehaps the most immediate and effective help is coming from International nongovernmental organizations, which are on the front lines of the fight against gender-based discrimination in Guatemala.Adelma Cifuentes shares her story to empower women and bring about awareness of Guatemala's history of gender-based violence.Ben Weingrod, a senior policy advocate at the global poverty fighting group CARE, says, "We work to identify and challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate violence. Our work includes engaging men and boys as champions of change and role models, and facilitating debates to change harmful norms and create space for more equitable relationships between men and women." But the job is far from over. While there is tempered optimism and hope for change, the problem of gender-based violence in Guatemala is one that needs international attention and immediate action.Cifuentes is finding strength through the theater and the support of other abuse survivors, which has allowed her to move forward. But millions of other women trapped in a cycle of violence are facing dangerous and frightening futures. For them, it's a race against time and help cannot come soon enough.

Katie Walmsley, CNN

2015-03-14 18:38:45

news

intl_world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/14/intl_world/iyw-aid-workers-in-danger/index.html

Aid workers in ISIS bull's-eye: 'If not us, then who?' - CNN

Aid workers on the front lines in ISIS' sights talk about what keeps them there despite the risk.

intl_world, Aid workers in ISIS bull's-eye: 'If not us, then who?' - CNN

'If not us, then who?' In the bull's-eye of ISIS

Story highlightsNumerous aid workers remain in Syria despite dangersWith a lack of government, more than 8 million refugees rely on aid agencies for food, shelter and medical careMany aid agencies have no means of armed defense against attackNew York (CNN)Kayla Mueller, Peter Kassig, Alan Henning, David Haines -- just a few of the aid workers who have been abducted and killed by ISIS in the past year. The exact number of aid workers currently being held is unknown; a level of secrecy tends to surround details of those currently captive. What we do know is ISIS holds at least one female aid worker, and possibly more. The International Federation of the Red Cross confirmed three aid workers who disappeared in October 2013 remain missing, but would not comment on their identities or who kidnapped them.Abductions and killings of aid workers are, unfortunately, nothing new, but the numbers are. According to Aidworkersecurity.org, at least 155 aid workers were killed in 2013, a 121% increase on 70 recorded killings the year before. Not all were victims of ISIS, a relatively new phenomenon given life by the chaos in embattled Syria. In fact, according to the same report, it is the Taliban who have historically kidnapped in the greatest numbers, in large part in Afghanistan. Here's the difference: ISIS is changing the game. The Taliban may have many reasons for abductions (flexing their muscles, negotiating prisoner releases), but they also have a record of frequent hostage release. The need for aid in a specific region and the level of the acceptance by the community matters, or mattered. Read More Photos: The ISIS terror threat Photos: The ISIS terror threatWounded passengers are treated following a suicide bombing at the Brussels Airport on March 22, 2016. The attacks on the airport and a subway killed 32 people and wounded more than 300. ISIS claims its "fighters" launched the attacks in the Belgian capital.Hide Caption 1 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSyrians gather at the site of a double car bomb attack in the Al-Zahraa neighborhood of the Homs, Syria, on February 21, 2016. Multiple attacks in Homs and southern Damascus kill at least 122 and injure scores, according to the state-run SANA news agency. ISIS claimed responsibility.Hide Caption 2 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSyrian pro-government forces gather at the site of a deadly triple bombing Sunday, January 31, in the Damascus suburb of Sayeda Zeynab. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a statement circulating online from supporters of the terrorist group.Hide Caption 3 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatYemenis check the scene of a car bomb attack Sunday, December 6, in Aden, Yemen. Aden Gov. Jaafar Saad and six bodyguards died in the attack, for which the terror group ISIS claimed responsibility.Hide Caption 4 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatInvestigators check the scene of a mosque attack Friday, November 27, in northern Bangladesh's Bogra district. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack that left at least one person dead and three more wounded.Hide Caption 5 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatWounded people are helped outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris following a series of coordinated attacks in the city on Friday, November 13. The militant group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed at least 130 people and wounded hundreds more.Hide Caption 6 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatEmergency personnel and civilians gather at the site of a twin suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, on Thursday, November 12. The bombings killed at least 43 people and wounded more than 200 more. ISIS appeared to claim responsibility in a statement posted on social media.Hide Caption 7 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSmoke rises over the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar on November 12. Kurdish Iraqi fighters, backed by a U.S.-led air campaign, retook the strategic town, which ISIS militants overran last year. ISIS wants to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria.Hide Caption 8 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSyrian government troops walk inside the Kweiras air base on Wednesday, November 11, after they broke a siege imposed by ISIS militants.Hide Caption 9 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatMembers of the Egyptian military approach the wreckage of a Russian passenger plane Sunday, November 1, in Hassana, Egypt. The plane crashed the day before, killing all 224 people on board. ISIS claimed responsibility for downing the plane, but the group's claim wasn't immediately verified.Hide Caption 10 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatAn explosion rocks Kobani, Syria, during a reported car bomb attack by ISIS militants on Tuesday, October 20.Hide Caption 11 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatShiite fighters, fighting alongside Iraqi government forces, fire a rocket at ISIS militants as they advance toward the center of Baiji, Iraq, on Monday, October 19.Hide Caption 12 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSmoke rises above a damaged building in Ramadi, Iraq, following a coalition airstrike against ISIS positions on Saturday, August 15.Hide Caption 13 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi men look at damage following a bomb explosion that targeted a vegetable market in Baghdad on Thursday, August 13. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. Hide Caption 14 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIn this image taken from social media, an ISIS fighter holds the group's flag after the militant group overran the Syrian town of al-Qaryatayn on Thursday, August 6, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. ISIS uses modern tools such as social media to promote reactionary politics and religious fundamentalism. Fighters are destroying holy sites and valuable antiquities even as their leaders propagate a return to the early days of Islam. Hide Caption 15 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatAn ISIS fighter poses with spoils purportedly taken after capturing the Syrian town of al-Qaryatayn.Hide Caption 16 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSmoke rises as Iraqi security forces bomb ISIS positions in the eastern suburbs of Ramadi, Iraq, on August 6.Hide Caption 17 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatBuildings reduced to piles of debris can be seen in the eastern suburbs of Ramadi on August 6.Hide Caption 18 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatThe governor of the Asir region in Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz, left, visits a man who was wounded in a suicide bombing attack on a mosque in Abha, Saudi Arabia, on August 6. ISIS claimed responsibility for the explosion, which killed at least 13 people and injured nine others.Hide Caption 19 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSaudi officials and investigators check the inside of the mosque on August 6.Hide Caption 20 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatMourners in Gaziantep, Turkey, grieve over a coffin Tuesday, July 21, during a funeral ceremony for the victims of a suspected ISIS suicide bomb attack. That bombing killed at least 31 people in Suruc, a Turkish town that borders Syria. Turkish authorities blamed ISIS for the attack.Hide Caption 21 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatProtesters in Istanbul carry anti-ISIS banners and flags to show support for victims of the Suruc suicide blast during a demonstration on Monday, July 20.Hide Caption 22 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatPeople in Ashmoun, Egypt, carry the coffin for 1st Lt. Mohammed Ashraf, who was killed when the ISIS militant group attacked Egyptian military checkpoints on Wednesday, July 1. At least 17 soldiers were reportedly killed, and 30 were injured.Hide Caption 23 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSyrians wait near the Turkish border during clashes between ISIS and Kurdish armed groups in Kobani, Syria, on Thursday, June 25. The photo was taken in Sanliurfa, Turkey. ISIS militants disguised as Kurdish security forces infiltrated Kobani on Thursday and killed "many civilians," said a spokesman for the Kurds in Kobani.Hide Caption 24 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatResidents examine a damaged mosque after an Iraqi Air Force bombing in the ISIS-seized city of Falluja, Iraq, on Sunday, May 31. At least six were killed and nine others wounded during the bombing.Hide Caption 25 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatPeople search through debris after an explosion at a Shiite mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, May 22. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, according to tweets from ISIS supporters, which included a formal statement from ISIS detailing the operation.Hide Caption 26 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi soldiers fire their weapons toward ISIS group positions in the Garma district, west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, on Sunday, April 26. Pro-government forces said they had recently made advances on areas held by Islamist jihadists.Hide Caption 27 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA member of Afghanistan's security forces stands at the site where a suicide bomber on a motorbike blew himself up in front of the Kabul Bank in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Saturday, April 18. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The explosion killed at least 33 people and injured more than 100 others, a public health spokesman said.Hide Caption 28 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi counterterrorism forces patrol in Ramadi on April 18.Hide Caption 29 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatThousands of Iraqis cross a bridge over the Euphrates River to Baghdad as they flee Ramadi on Friday, April 17.Hide Caption 30 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatYazidis embrace after being released by ISIS south of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Wednesday, April 8. ISIS released more than 200 Yazidis, a minority group whose members were killed, captured and displaced when the Islamist terror organization overtook their towns in northern Iraq last summer, officials said.Hide Caption 31 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatKurdish Peshmerga forces help Yazidis as they arrive at a medical center in Altun Kupri, Iraq, on April 8.Hide Caption 32 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Yazidi woman mourns for the death of her husband and children by ISIS after being released south of Kirkuk on April 8. ISIS is known for killing dozens of people at a time and carrying out public executions, crucifixions and other acts. Hide Caption 33 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatPeople in Tikrit inspect what used to be a palace of former President Saddam Hussein on April 3.Hide Caption 34 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatOn April 1, Shiite militiamen celebrate the retaking of Tikrit, which had been under ISIS control since June. The push into Tikrit came days after U.S.-led airstrikes targeted ISIS bases around the city.Hide Caption 35 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi security forces launch a rocket against ISIS positions in Tikrit on Monday, March 30.Hide Caption 36 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatThe parents of 19-year-old Mohammed Musallam react at the family's home in the East Jerusalem Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov on Tuesday, March 10. ISIS released a video purportedly showing a young boy executing Musallam, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian descent who ISIS claimed infiltrated the group in Syria to spy for the Jewish state. Musallam's family told CNN that he had no ties with the Mossad, Israel's spy agency, and had, in fact, been recruited by ISIS.Hide Caption 37 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi Shiite fighters cover their ears as a rocket is launched during a clash with ISIS militants in the town of Al-Alam, Iraq, on Monday, March 9.Hide Caption 38 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatDisplaced Assyrian women who fled their homes due to ISIS attacks pray at a church on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, on Sunday, March 1. ISIS militants abducted at least 220 Assyrians in Syria. Hide Caption 39 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSafi al-Kasasbeh, right, receives condolences from tribal leaders at his home village near Karak, Jordan, on Wednesday, February 4. Al-Kasasbeh's son, Jordanian pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh, was burned alive in a video that was recently released by ISIS militants. Jordan is one of a handful of Middle Eastern nations taking part in the U.S.-led military coalition against ISIS.Hide Caption 40 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Kurdish marksman looks over a destroyed area of Kobani on Friday, January 30, after the city had been liberated from the ISIS militant group. The Syrian city, also known as Ayn al-Arab, had been under assault by ISIS since mid-September.Hide Caption 41 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatKurdish people celebrate in Suruc, Turkey, near the Turkish-Syrian border, after ISIS militants were expelled from Kobani on Tuesday, January 27.Hide Caption 42 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatCollapsed buildings are seen in Kobani on January 27 after Kurdish forces took control of the town from ISIS.Hide Caption 43 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatJunko Ishido, mother of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, reacts during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday, January 23. ISIS would later kill Goto and another Japanese hostage, Haruna Yukawa.Hide Caption 44 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatISIS militants are seen through a rifle's scope during clashes with Peshmerga fighters in Mosul, Iraq, on Wednesday, January 21.Hide Caption 45 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatAn elderly Yazidi man arrives in Kirkuk after being released by ISIS on Saturday, January 17. The militant group released about 200 Yazidis who were held captive for five months in Iraq. Almost all of the freed prisoners were in poor health and bore signs of abuse and neglect, Kurdish officials said.Hide Caption 46 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSmoke billows behind an ISIS sign during an Iraqi military operation to regain control of the town of Sadiyah, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, November 25.Hide Caption 47 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatFighters from the Free Syrian Army and the Kurdish People's Protection Units join forces to fight ISIS in Kobani on Wednesday, November 19.Hide Caption 48 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA picture taken from Turkey shows smoke rising after ISIS militants fired mortar shells toward an area controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters near Kobani on Monday, November 3.Hide Caption 49 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatIraqi special forces search a house in Jurf al-Sakhar, Iraq, on Thursday, October 30, after retaking the area from ISIS.Hide Caption 50 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatISIS militants stand near the site of an airstrike near the Turkey-Syria border on Thursday, October 23. The United States and several Arab nations have been bombing ISIS targets in Syria to take out the militant group's ability to command, train and resupply its fighters.Hide Caption 51 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatKurdish fighters walk to positions as they combat ISIS forces in Kobani on Sunday, October 19.Hide Caption 52 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatHeavy smoke rises in Kobani following an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on October 18.Hide Caption 53 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatCundi Minaz, a female Kurdish fighter, is buried in a cemetery in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc on Tuesday, October 14. Minaz was reportedly killed during clashes with ISIS militants in nearby Kobani.Hide Caption 54 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatKiymet Ergun, a Syrian Kurd, celebrates in Mursitpinar, Turkey, after an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Kobani on Monday, October 13.Hide Caption 55 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatAlleged ISIS militants stand next to an ISIS flag atop a hill in Kobani on Monday, October 6. Hide Caption 56 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Kurdish Peshmerga soldier who was wounded in a battle with ISIS is wheeled to the Zakho Emergency Hospital in Duhuk, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 30.Hide Caption 57 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatSyrian Kurds wait near a border crossing in Suruc as they wait to return to their homes in Kobani on Sunday, September 28.Hide Caption 58 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA elderly man is carried after crossing the Syria-Turkey border near Suruc on Saturday, September 20.Hide Caption 59 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Kurdish Peshmerga fighter launches mortar shells toward ISIS militants in Zumar, Iraq, on Monday, September 15.Hide Caption 60 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatKurdish Peshmerga fighters fire at ISIS militant positions from their position on the top of Mount Zardak, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Tuesday, September 9. Hide Caption 61 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatDisplaced Iraqis receive clothes from a charity at a refugee camp near Feeshkhabour, Iraq, on Tuesday, August 19.Hide Caption 62 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatAziza Hamid, a 15-year-old Iraqi girl, cries for her father while she and some other Yazidi people are flown to safety Monday, August 11, after a dramatic rescue operation at Iraq's Mount Sinjar. A CNN crew was on the flight, which took diapers, milk, water and food to the site where as many as 70,000 people were trapped by ISIS. But only a few of them were able to fly back on the helicopter with the Iraqi Air Force and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.Hide Caption 63 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatThousands of Yazidis are escorted to safety by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and a People's Protection Unit in Mosul on Saturday, August 9.Hide Caption 64 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatThousands of Yazidi and Christian people flee Mosul on Wednesday, August 6, after the latest wave of ISIS advances.Hide Caption 65 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Baiji oil refinery burns after an alleged ISIS attack in northern Selahaddin, Iraq, on Thursday, July 31.Hide Caption 66 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatA Syrian rebel fighter lies on a stretcher at a makeshift hospital in Douma, Syria, on Wednesday, July 9. He was reportedly injured while fighting ISIS militants.Hide Caption 67 of 68 Photos: The ISIS terror threatChildren stand next to a burnt vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in Mosul on Tuesday, June 10.Hide Caption 68 of 68For ISIS, it appears to matter less. Abducted aid workers are usually either a source of considerable income (ISIS demanded at least $6 million for Kayla Mueller, and reportedly $200 million for two Japanese hostages) or, failing that, their killings provide a lurid display of brutality for the world to witness. So far the number of hostages of all backgrounds freed by ISIS is extremely low, save for those whose ransoms were paid. The freeing of 19 kidnapped Assyrian Christians shocked many, because release is not a common part of ISIS' playbook. These tactics can serve as models to other extremist groups worldwide, who may look to emulate ISIS' model of abduction and violence. One example is West African extremist group Boko Haram, which released a video purportedly showing the beheading of two men claimed to be spies, an approach disturbingly similar to ISIS'."Humanitarian work has always been risky, but it's never been more dangerous than it is now," says Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "There used to be a time when an organization's flag provided a great deal of protection. That's no longer the case."The response in large part from aid agencies has not been to pull out of Syria and its environs altogether, but to rely almost exclusively on local staffers. Still, outside workers like Mueller, Kassig, Henning and Haines were inside Syria when they were taken, and the regional directors of aid agencies continue to travel there frequently in order to oversee operations. Not only that, but simply by virtue of working for a large aid agency, local staffers become bait. Indeed, the majority of victims have been working in their own countries.ISIS doesn't just target aid workers. Journalists, soldiers and anyone who conceivably could fetch a ransom are high on their hit list. But in the Wild West that is Syria and its borders, few of these remain, save for aid workers. In a space devoid of government, refugee camps and aid agencies are frequently seen as the only authorities, the new front line in the war on terror, a sometimes unwelcome association. And as ISIS spreads beyond Syria's borders, the risks grow further afield.Yet despite these risks, thousands of aid workers continue to work in a region where the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates the number of refugees from conflict at more than 8 million. While some aid agencies rely on security personnel for protection, many are completely unarmed and are particularly vulnerable when in transit. Their security and locations for the most part are under constant review. When CNN approached a number of reputable aid agencies asking to speak to those who work or travel in the region about their experiences, and what drives them to remain despite an unprecedented threat level, many declined, in large part due to security concerns. For this reason, some of those mentioned below are wholly or partially anonymous. Senior relief director for NGO working in the Syria regionIf I think back, I've been doing this work for about 20 years, and I remember we used to have this sense that there was some sort of protection, some sort of ... humanitarian space ... it feels very much like that is shrinking ... our job is becoming much, much more difficult; we're asking people to put themselves in harm's way in some circumstances. I mean, we don't do that, but it's not the exception any more. Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A wounded child walks at a makeshift hospital in the rebel-held town of Douma after being injured in a reported airstrike by government forces on Tuesday, December 23. Douma, located near Damascus, has been under government siege for more than a year, with residents facing dwindling food and medical supplies.The United Nations estimates nearly 200,000 people have been killed in Syria since an uprising in March 2011 spiraled into civil war.Hide Caption 1 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A Christmas tree and a crèche made out of rubble are set up on a square in the, predominantly Christian, government-held Hamidiyeh neighborhood of Homs on Monday, December 22.Hide Caption 2 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian children await medical treatment at a makeshift clinic in the besieged rebel town of Douma, on Sunday, December 21, near Damascus.Hide Caption 3 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A Syrian rebel fighter keeps an eye on government troops in Aleppo, Syria, on Wednesday, December 17. Hide Caption 4 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man drives his motorcycle through a puddle in Aleppo on Wednesday, November 26.Hide Caption 5 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A Syrian opposition fighter fires at Bashar al-Assad Regime forces in the Handarat district of Aleppo on Thursday, November 20.Hide Caption 6 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian boys play in the ruins of a destroyed building in Aleppo on Tuesday, November 18.Hide Caption 7 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A wounded man is treated at a makeshift hospital in Damascus, Syria, following a reported air strike by government forces on Tuesday, November 11.Hide Caption 8 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Members of the Syrian Civil Defense carry an injured man after an alleged air strike in Aleppo on November 11.Hide Caption 9 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A member of the Syrian Civil Defense walks through a cloud of dust after an alleged air strike by government forces in Aleppo on November 11.Hide Caption 10 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A father cries over his son at a physical therapy center in Eastern al-Ghouta outside Damascus on Thursday, November 6. The boy had his leg tendons cut after he was injured in an airstrike four months before.Hide Caption 11 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A blindfolded man suspected of passing military information to the Syrian government waits to be interrogated by Free Syrian Army fighters Monday, October 6, in Aleppo.Hide Caption 12 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Medics at a field hospital in Douma, Syria, attend to a man who was injured in what activists said were two airstrikes carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday, September 20.Hide Caption 13 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Free Syrian Army fighters rest inside a damaged room in Aleppo on Tuesday, September 16, during what activists said were clashes with forces loyal to al-Assad.Hide Caption 14 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian government forces walk down a street in Halfaya, Syria, after taking the city from rebel forces on Friday, September 12. Hide Caption 15 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Al-Qaeda-linked rebels from Syria gather around vehicles carrying U.N. peacekeepers from Fiji before releasing them Thursday, September 11, in the Golan Heights. The 45 peacekeepers were captured in the Golan Heights after rebels seized control of a border crossing between Syria and the Israeli-occupied territory.Hide Caption 16 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian opposition fighters take position behind sandbags in Aleppo on Thursday, September 11.Hide Caption 17 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrians fleeing the violence stand next to their belongings as they attempt to cross into Turkey on Sunday, September 7.Hide Caption 18 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A boy looks at bodies lying outside a hospital after a barrel-bomb attack in Aleppo on Friday, September 5.Hide Caption 19 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A U.N. convoy moves in the buffer zone near the Golan Heights as they are escorted by Syrian rebel fighters near the Syrian village of Jubata Al Khashab on Tuesday, September 2.Hide Caption 20 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Residents of Aleppo remove a body from debris on Friday, August 29, after what activists claim was shelling by forces loyal to al-Assad.Hide Caption 21 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Druze men watch from the Golan Heights side of the Quneitra border with Syria as smoke rises during fighting between rebels and forces loyal to al-Assad on Wednesday, August 27. Hide Caption 22 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – This image was taken during a government guided tour in Mleiha, Syria, one day after Syrian government forces retook the town after a months-long battle with rebels, according to a military source and state television on Friday, August 15.Hide Caption 23 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Residents inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings in Aleppo after Syrian regime helicopters allegedly dropped barrel bombs there on Wednesday, August 13.Hide Caption 24 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Smoke trails over Aleppo following barrel bombs that were allegedly dropped by the Syrian regime on an opposition-controlled area on Monday, August 11.Hide Caption 25 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Photographs of victims of the Bashar al-Assad regime are displayed as a Syrian Army defector known as "Caesar," center, appears in disguise to speak before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. The briefing on Thursday, July 31, was called "Assad's Killing Machine Exposed: Implications for U.S. Policy." Caesar was apparently a witness to al-Assad's brutality and has smuggled more than 50,000 photographs depicting the torture and execution of more than 10,000 dissidents. Hide Caption 26 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian rebel fighters take up positions behind sandbags in Aleppo on Wednesday, July 30. Hide Caption 27 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – People carry an injured man away from the site of an airstrike, reportedly carried out by Syrian government forces, in Aleppo on Sunday, July 27.Hide Caption 28 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Hide Caption 29 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Rebel fighters execute two men Friday, July 25, in Binnish, Syria. The men reportedly were charged by an Islamic religious court with detonating several car bombs. Hide Caption 30 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A rebel fighter stands on a dust-covered street in Aleppo on Monday, July 21.Hide Caption 31 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man clears debris at the site of an alleged barrel-bomb attack in Aleppo on Tuesday, July 15.Hide Caption 32 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A woman walks amid debris after an airstrike by government forces July 15 in Aleppo.Hide Caption 33 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – People walk on a dust-filled street after a reported barrel-bomb attack in Aleppo on Monday, July 7.Hide Caption 34 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Apartments and other buildings lie in ruins on Tuesday, June 3, in Aleppo, a city that "has had the life bombed out of it," according to CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.Hide Caption 35 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man carries a girl injured in a reported barrel-bomb attack by government forces June 3 in Aleppo.Hide Caption 36 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A rebel fighter loads an anti-tank cannon outside Latakia, Syria, on Sunday, June 1.Hide Caption 37 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A rescue worker pulls a girl from rubble in Aleppo on June 1 after reported bombing by government forces.Hide Caption 38 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A giant poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen in Damascus, Syria, on Saturday, May 31, as the capital prepares for presidential elections.Hide Caption 39 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Portraits of al-Assad dominate the cityscape in central Damascus on Tuesday, May 27. Al-Assad is firmly in power three years into the civil war, while the opposition remains weak and fragmented and extremists grow in numbers and influence.Hide Caption 40 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – The father of a 3-month-old girl weeps Monday, May 26, after she was pulled from rubble following a barrel-bomb strike in Aleppo.Hide Caption 41 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A woman stands in a heavily damaged building in Aleppo on May 26.Hide Caption 42 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – An injured man lies in a hospital bed after alleged airstrikes by government forces in Aleppo on Sunday, May 18.Hide Caption 43 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Buildings in Homs, Syria, lie in ruins Saturday, May 10, days after an evacuation truce went into effect. Thousands of displaced residents returned to the city.Hide Caption 44 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Rescuers carry a man wounded by a mine in the Bustan al-Diwan neighborhood of Homs on May 10.Hide Caption 45 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A Syrian woman carries a suitcase along a street in the Juret al-Shayah district of Homs on May 10.Hide Caption 46 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Residents carry their belongings in the al-Hamidieh neighborhood of Homs on May 10.Hide Caption 47 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A woman injured when a mine went off is carried in Homs on May 10.Hide Caption 48 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Residents return to damaged dwellings in Homs on May 10. Hide Caption 49 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Debris lies on a deserted street in Homs on Thursday, May 8. Hide Caption 50 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A mosque is seen through shattered glass in Homs, where an evacuation truce went into effect on Wednesday, May 7. Hide Caption 51 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A wounded man is treated at a makeshift hospital in Aleppo on Sunday, May 4.Hide Caption 52 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters said was an operation to strike a checkpoint and remove government forces in Maarat al-Numan, Syria, on Monday, May 5.Hide Caption 53 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man helps a woman through debris after reported airstrikes by government forces on Thursday, May 1, in the Halak neighborhood of Aleppo. Hide Caption 54 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrians gather at the site of reported airstrikes in Aleppo on May 1. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack.Hide Caption 55 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A woman runs after two barrel bombs were thrown, reportedly by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo on May 1.Hide Caption 56 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A boy runs in Aleppo on Sunday, April 27, after what activists said were explosive barrels thrown by forces loyal to al-Assad.Hide Caption 57 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Security and emergency medical personnel work at the site of a car bomb explosion Monday, April 14, in the Ekremah neighborhood of Homs. Hide Caption 58 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – In this photo released by the state-run SANA news agency, Syrian forces take positions during clashes with rebels near the town of Rankous, Syria, on Sunday, April 13.Hide Caption 59 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Flames engulf a vehicle following a car bomb Wednesday, April 9, in the Karm al-Loz neighborhood of Homs.Hide Caption 60 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man carries a child who was found in the rubble of an Aleppo building after it was reportedly bombed by government forces on Monday, March 18.Hide Caption 61 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – An elderly man and a child walk among debris in a residential block of Aleppo on March 18. Hide Caption 62 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A woman with blood on her face carries a child following a reported airstrike by government forces Saturday, March 15, in Aleppo.Hide Caption 63 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – People attempt to comfort a man in Aleppo after a reported airstrike by government forces on Sunday, March 9. Hide Caption 64 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Buildings in Homs lay in ruins on March 9.Hide Caption 65 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrian forces fire a cannon and a heavy machine gun loaded on a truck as they fight rebels in the Syrian town of Zara on Saturday, March 8. Hide Caption 66 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A handout photo released by SANA shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaking March 8 during a meeting in Damascus to mark the 51st anniversary of the 1963 revolution, when Baath Party supporters in the Syrian army seized power. Al-Assad said the country will go on with reconciliation efforts along with its fight against terrorism.Hide Caption 67 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings in Aleppo following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces on Friday, March 7.Hide Caption 68 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – People dig through the rubble of a building in Damascus that was allegedly hit by government airstrikes on Thursday, February 27. Hide Caption 69 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A boy walks ahead of men carrying the body of his mother in Aleppo on Saturday, February 22. According to activists, the woman was killed when explosive barrels were thrown by forces loyal to al-Assad.Hide Caption 70 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man holds a baby who survived what activists say was an airstrike by al-Assad loyalists Friday, February 14, in Aleppo.Hide Caption 71 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – In this photo provided by the anti-government activist group Aleppo Media Center, Syrian men help survivors out of a building in Aleppo after it was bombed, allegedly by a Syrian regime warplane on Saturday, February 8.Hide Caption 72 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrians gather at a site hit by barrel bombs, allegedly dropped by a regime helicopter on the opposition-controlled Mesekin Hananu district of Aleppo on February 8.Hide Caption 73 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – In this handout photo released by the state-run SANA news agency on February 8, civilians wave national flags in Damascus as they take part in a rally in support of President al-Assad.Hide Caption 74 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man stands next to debris in the road following a reported airstrike by Syrian government forces in Aleppo on February 8.Hide Caption 75 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Medical personnel look for survivors after a reported airstrike in Aleppo on Saturday, February 1.Hide Caption 76 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Syrians carry a dead body following an airstrike on February 1.Hide Caption 77 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man walks amid debris and dust on January 31.Hide Caption 78 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – An injured man is covered in dust after an airstrike on January 29.Hide Caption 79 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A man tries to fix electrical wires in Aleppo on January 27.Hide Caption 80 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Rebels and civilians check out a crater that activists say resulted from a Syrian government airstrike on an Aleppo bus station on Tuesday, January 21.Hide Caption 81 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Men rush to a site that Syrian government forces reportedly hit in Aleppo on January 21.Hide Caption 82 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – Buildings lie in ruins in Aleppo on Sunday, January 19, after reported air raids by Syrian government planes.Hide Caption 83 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A child collects items from a garbage pile in Douma, northeast of the capital, on Saturday, January 18.Hide Caption 84 of 85 Photos: Photos: Syrian civil war in 2014 Syrian civil war in 2014 – A piece of exploded mortar lies in a street in Daraya, a Syrian city southwest of Damascus, on Friday, January 17.Hide Caption 85 of 85My family is not thrilled at all because what they see on the news is Westerners being kidnapped and beheaded ... when they worry, I worry about them and that doesn't help me be in a good state of mind to do my work. I'm very selective about where I say I go. I need to find ways to switch off and do silly things and not worry about the dire situation that's here, not just the humanitarian situation but ... being responsible for the people I'm responsible for in this region. I don't think people see the human side so much ... innocent people who through no fault of their own have been forced to flee their home one, two, three times -- who don't see a future for their children... Someone has to be there to help and support and provide some sense of safety and security, and I mean that in the personal sense of a mother who, when she goes to sleep at night with her children, she knows she has a blanket to keep them warm and something to feed them the next day. Mark Ohanian, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) director of programsFear is always there in the back of everyone's mind. We just need to continue what we're doing, stopping is not an option, halting our operations is not an option, and we are taking great risks, our staff are taking great risks.It is a difficult thing to tell family, to tell colleagues. Oftentimes I just don't mention all the details of where I go because they just don't need to know. But it needs to be done, we also can't run an operation remotely. ... I'm not going to the front lines, I'm not going to where the conflict is actually hot ... we're not adrenaline driven people. We want to be able to help the people and do our work and to do our work does entail taking some risks, but it's about calculated risks. We don't want to put ourselves directly in front of danger.If we say we give up on it for whatever reason -- security, morale, pressure from here, pressure from there -- no one else is going to come to take our place. There's not going to be another organization that's going to come and do more humanitarian aid and cover the gap that IOCC may create, that's not going to happen. So that puts more responsibility on the shoulders of our staff and the shoulders of our organization; we feel that responsibility that we've got to deliver on this thing. Donate to IOCC Dima (last name withheld), aid worker, IOCC There's an internal motivation that keeps you going. You feel that there are populations and people that need aid and require assistance, and know it's a choice that one makes and dedicate your life service. So yes, you need be of course strong, motivated, passionate, and of course feel the need to assist and deliver. Michael Bowers, senior director for strategic response and emergencies, Mercy CorpsIt's an unprecedented time, and what we're calling the new normal ... as we've seen in the last year, the complete radicalization of these spaces with extremist groups, who have a very hard view in terms of cooperation with neutral and humanitarian organizations such as ours ... we're not the U.S. Army, we don't have a physical ability to repel.There may be in people's perceived minds there was a golden age of humanitarian acceptance: like if you were a charity and waved a white flag and drove a white car, you'd be protected by bad guys and loved by the community. I think that golden age is more myth than reality, but regarding today's reality it's extremely dangerous it's so true. And your flag, your neutrality, your white car, all the good intention you have, that recipe is very difficult in these complicated emergencies. There's a phrase that the U.N. uses and a lot of NGOs use which is "stay and deliver," so we have a humanitarian imperative to be there, but we always have to be in a risk management role; we have to critically look at: do the risks outweigh the benefits we hope to get?The fear factor comes in just managing the emotional toll it takes with your family and friends, and that has more of a toll, I think, with individual staff members than actual external environment ... frankly, sometimes I don't tell them till I'm already on my way so I don't have to have those calls before I even get on an airplane. It's hard; there are some areas where the family and friends don't understand why you're going there, and you re-articulate, "If not you, then who?" and you ask, "Would you want this in your neighborhood next door where no one comes to help you if something bad happened?"Donate to Mercy CorpsFor ways to donate to organizations working to help refugees from ISIS and from the conflict in that region, go to CNN.com/ impact.CNN's Betsy Anderson and Julia Chan contributed to this report.

Hiba, as told to Mary Kate MacIsaac, for CNN

2015-03-30 15:12:35

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/30/world/iyw-syria-education-deferred/index.html

Syria's lost generation: Education and dreams deferred - CNN

The Syrian war has closed schools, forcing many young Syrians to defer their education. One young Syrian woman is helping others while she waits for peace.

world, Syria's lost generation: Education and dreams deferred - CNN

Syria's lost generation

Story highlightsFour years of war means four years without schools and education in Syria Hiba was nearly done with university when she was forced to flee her home near DamascusTo help Hiba and the many other displaced Syrian students, go to CARE (CNN)I was finishing my studies when the war began four years ago. I had only two subjects remaining before I graduated from university with a degree in English literature. Since I was 10 years old, I have loved English and dreamed of becoming a teacher. I want to teach the younger ones, especially now, because children are the ones who will rebuild our country. They are Syria's future, and they deserve our significant investment. Three years ago, my family was forced to flee our home near Damascus, in east Ghouta. Thankfully, we got out before chemical warfare was used there. We stayed in Syria for the next year, moving from one house to another, from one village to another. With each move, we felt no comfort, no safety. When you feel unsafe in a place that is being bombed nearly every day, you eventually must make a choice: Ours was to leave. And with only two packed bags, we did. We went to Jordan. I've thought of returning to Syria. I want to be part of my country's rebuilding, but sadly, I don't expect this to happen any time soon. Read MoreWhen we arrived in Jordan, I thought I would return soon to Syria -- in only a few weeks. We all thought so. It's been two years. And while I still hope to go home one day, my biggest question is: "When?"I want to return so that I can teach. As a child, I was inspired by my third-grade teacher, who believed children are the future and who challenged us at that young age to create a better world. I think it's rare for a teacher to instill this so passionately in her students, but I want to try. Although I hope to follow in my teacher's footsteps, my path for now is blocked by the uncertainty of living far from home, by a war that has driven me here, by tuition costs in Jordan that are prohibitively expensive. Being away from home presents many challenges. You feel like a stranger in a foreign place. You're not among people who know you, or who want to know you. As a Syrian refugee, it is nearly impossible to get permission to be officially employed, and I've no money to complete my studies.Overnight, my dreams changed. In one moment I was at home with family and friends dreaming of studying English, of becoming a schoolteacher. In the next, it all feels lost. It's impossible to work, impossible to study. We hope to meet our needs today, not so much to fulfill our dreams tomorrow. In Syria, I was responsible to my parents, now I am responsible for them. I dreamed of being a teacher, but because my parents are old, I must try each week just to protect them, to cover their basic needs of shelter, food and medicine. I needed some way to support my family. While most Syrians are not permitted to work, we can volunteer. I found a role with the poverty-fighting organization CARE in the urban refugee center in East Amman, Jordan, where I earn a stipend doing meaningful volunteer work. I have enjoyed it so much. After working there, I have become more social, and no longer feel isolated. It's not like sitting at home, feeling powerless, losing confidence, wondering what I can do to help my family, to help my people. Instead, I feel empowered. I recognize my potential. And, because of that, I refuse to give up on my dreams. My hope is to resettle for the short term in another country so I can continue my studies. I want to complete my education -- and reclaim my dream of teaching Syrian children. Resettling could help shape my future so that I can help shape theirs. One day, I will tell them of the crisis we faced in the Syria that I left. We must be aware of this history, and learn from it. We must empower children to speak up and then be sure that their voices are heard. Change starts with them. And it starts with us. Each person has the right to pursue an education, to meet their most basic needs, to express themselves. When those rights are stifled, so, too, is a person's potential, her opportunities, her power to create a better world, and in my case, a better Syria. My question to the U.S. people and the international community is this: Imagine your life has been turned upside down after you lose everything in a matter of hours: What do you believe in then? What do you cling to? The answer, I think, is: your dreams. We all have them. Mine, for the time being, have been deferred.

Christopher Dawson, CNN

2015-01-06 17:37:20

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/06/world/iyw-syria-resource-list/index.html

Help refugees survive the Syrian conflict - CNN

In 2011, more than 3 million people lived in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Then the bombs came. Here are ways you can help.

world, Help refugees survive the Syrian conflict - CNN

Help Syrians survive the conflict

(CNN)In 2011, the peaceful uprising in Syria spiraled into civil war, quickly becoming one of the bloodiest conflicts in the world today. You can aid the civilians struggling to survive in Syria -- with food, shelter, medical aid and other basic needs.The United Nations estimates that 6 million civilians are internally displaced, desperate to find safety in the destroyed cities, facing the constant threat of gunfire in the streets and bombs from the skies.JUST WATCHEDCitizens fleeing underground in Syria ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCitizens fleeing underground in Syria 02:28More than 5 million Syrians who have fled the country face uncertainty as well. Syrian refugees also attempt the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea, seeking refuge in Europe. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that in 2017, 172,301 refugees and migrants from Syria and other countries made this perilous journey. They also report that 3,119 refugees did not survive.Read MoreTo help organizations providing life saving assistance to both migrants and refugees attempting this crossing, click here.

CNN Staff, CNN

2015-04-06 20:58:56

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world

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/06/world/iyw-yemen-resource-list/index.html

Yemen crisis: How you can help - CNN

As fighting escalates in Yemen, Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, CARE and others are trying to provide food, water, and medical supplies.

world, Yemen crisis: How you can help - CNN

Yemen crisis: How you can help

(CNN)Since Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and intense fighting began in Yemen in late March, it's estimated that 600 people have been killed. Even more have been wounded, and tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced.The International Committee of the Red Cross called for an immediate 24-hour ceasefire, to allow humanitarian aid in the most needed areas."Otherwise, put starkly, many more people will die. For the wounded, their chances of survival depend on action within hours, not days," Robert Mardini, the ICRC's head of operations in the Near and Middle East, said.As fighting continues in Yemen, several organizations are trying to help provide food, water and medical supplies that are desperately needed. While groups are trying to deploy the necessary resources to Yemen, some have had to temporarily evacuate their staffs for security reasons. They have vowed to respond to those in need as soon as it is possible. Here's how you can help:Read More Photos: Unrest in Yemen Photos: Unrest in YemenThe sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on Friday, April 17. The coalition's warplanes have been carrying out strikes against Houthi rebels since President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled the country in late March.Hide Caption 1 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA Yemeni boy holds a rifle as Houthi supporters attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 5, protesting airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels. Hide Caption 2 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenYemenis dig graves on Saturday, April 4, to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the village of Bani Matar, Yemen.Hide Caption 3 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenYemenis search for survivors in the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes on April 4 in a village near Sanaa.Hide Caption 4 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenCentral Sanaa is covered in dust on Friday, April 3. Airstrikes have turned the bustling capital of Yemen into a ghost town.Hide Caption 5 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA Yemeni man loads a TV set into a van as he prepares to flee Sanaa on Thursday, April 2.Hide Caption 6 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenMilitiamen loyal to Hadi take positions on a street in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, April 2. Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in Aden, a neutral security official and two Houthi commanders in Aden told CNN. The Houthis are Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. The Sunni Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region.Hide Caption 7 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA framed photo and a purse hang on the wall of a house destroyed by an airstrike near the Sanaa airport on Tuesday, March 31.Hide Caption 8 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenBuildings burn at the Jabal al-Hadid military camp in Aden on Saturday, March 28. Yemeni military officials said an explosion rocked the camp that houses a weapons depot, killing and wounding several people. The camp reportedly had been taken by security forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Some of the forces aligned with the Houthis are also loyal to Saleh, who resigned in 2012 after months of Arab Spring protests.Hide Caption 9 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenYemeni supporters of the Houthi movement attend a demonstration against Saudi military operations Thursday, March 26, in Sanaa.Hide Caption 10 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenPeople search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by airstrikes near the Sanaa Airport on March 26. Hide Caption 11 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenMembers of Yemen's General People's Committee deploy in Aden, Yemen, on Wednesday, March 25. The militiamen are loyal to Hadi.Hide Caption 12 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenOn March 25, honor guards in Sanaa carry the coffins of victims who were killed in suicide bombing attacks several days earlier. Deadly explosions in Sanaa rocked two mosques serving the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, which is followed by the Houthi rebels that took over the capital city in January.Hide Caption 13 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenYemenis stand in front of burning tires during an anti-Houthi protest in Taiz, Yemen, on Tuesday, March 24. Hide Caption 14 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenMedics treat an anti-Houthi protester who was injured during clashes with pro-Houthi police in Taiz on March 24.Hide Caption 15 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenArmed men inspect damage after an explosion at the Al Badr mosque in Sanaa on Friday, March 20.Hide Caption 16 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA man in Aden holds a police shield that he looted from a base belonging to forces loyal to Saleh on Thursday, March 19.Hide Caption 17 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi supporters in Sanaa deploy giant national flags Wednesday, March 18, during a demonstration to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Friday of Dignity" attack. In 2011, forces loyal to Saleh opened fire on protesters who had gathered in Sanaa to demand the ouster of Saleh and his regime.Hide Caption 18 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenSupporters of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the former President, wave banners and shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa on Tuesday, March 10. The demonstrators were demanding presidential elections be held and that the younger Saleh run for office.Hide Caption 19 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA child raises his fist during a rally by Houthi supporters in Sanaa on Friday, March 6.Hide Caption 20 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenThousands of armed Yemeni tribal members gather in the southern province of Shabwa on Monday, February 23.Hide Caption 21 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenSupporters of the separatist Southern Movement perform prayers during a demonstration in Aden on Friday, February 13.Hide Caption 22 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi fighters guard the gate of the presidential palace where a bomb went off and wounded three people in Sanaa on Saturday, February 7.Hide Caption 23 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenYemeni soldiers guard the presidential palace in Sanaa on Friday, February 6.Hide Caption 24 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenMembers of the Houthi movement and their allies attend a meeting in the Yemeni capital on Sunday, February 1.Hide Caption 25 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenSupporters of the separatist Southern Movement flash the victory sign after they seized police security checkpoints on Saturday, January 24, in Ataq, the capital of the Shabwa province in Yemen. Policemen were told to give up their weapons and return to their bases before the militiamen raised flags of the formerly independent South Yemen at the checkpoints.Hide Caption 26 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi rebels fight with Yemeni protesters during a rally in Sanaa on January 24. Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa in the largest demonstration against Houthis since the Shiite militiamen overran the capital in September. Hide Caption 27 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenOn Friday, January 23, Houthis carry coffins of those killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces in Sanaa.Hide Caption 28 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA Houthi militiaman sits near a tank near the presidential palace in Sanaa on Thursday, January 22.Hide Caption 29 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi men wearing army uniforms stand guard on a street leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa on Wednesday, January 21. Hide Caption 30 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA wounded man rests at a hospital in Sanaa on January 21. He was reportedly injured in fierce clashes the previous day.Hide Caption 31 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA tank is stationed in front of the Sanaa house of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi on January 21.Hide Caption 32 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA Houthi rebel mans a checkpoint near the presidential palace on January 21.Hide Caption 33 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA man walks inside a heavily damaged house near the presidential palace on Tuesday, January 20.Hide Caption 34 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA woman walks past closed shops in Sanaa on January 20.Hide Caption 35 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenAn armed member of the Houthi movement stands guard in the streets of Sanaa on January 20.Hide Caption 36 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenA man surveys his damaged home in Sanaa on January 20.Hide Caption 37 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthis inspect a damaged mosque in Sanaa on January 20.Hide Caption 38 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi men raise their weapons during clashes near the presidential palace on Monday, January 19.Hide Caption 39 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenSmoke and flames rise in Sanaa during heavy clashes between presidential guards and Houthi rebels on January 19.Hide Caption 40 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenTribal soldiers protecting the city from Houthi rebels stand guard at the city borders in Marib, Yemen, on January 19.Hide Caption 41 of 42 Photos: Unrest in YemenHouthi men guard a Sanaa street on January 19.Hide Caption 42 of 42Action Against HungerCAREDoctors Without BordersInternational Committee of the Red CrossInternational Rescue Committee Mercy CorpsOxfam InternationalSave the ChildrenUNICEFUnited Nations FoundationWorld Food Programme

Milena Veselinovic, for CNN

2015-04-01 11:20:48

news

africa

https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/01/africa/ethiopia-coffee-industry/index.html

Ethiopia - a land where coffee meets tradition - CNN

Widely regarded as the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia is one of the world's largest producers of the popular brew..

africa, Ethiopia - a land where coffee meets tradition - CNN

Ethiopia - a land where coffee meets tradition

(CNN)As he tended to his goats one afternoon in the Ethiopian highlands some 12 centuries ago, a herder named Kaldi noticed that his bleating charges seemed energized after chewing mysterious red berries. Intrigued by the strange reaction, Kaldi took the berries to a local monastery, where the monks promptly threw them in the fire disapproving of their apparently magical attributes. As the berries were roasted by the heat, a heavenly aroma spread, and they were used to make the first coffee. Or so the legend of coffee goes. What is more certain is that Ethiopia, widely regarded as the cradle of coffee, is a nation devoted to the stimulating beverage. The country is Africa's biggest producer and ranks fifth globally. Last year it exported 190,000 tonnes of coffee beans, earning around $700 million, and in 2016 Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa will host the 4th World Coffee Conference, a high-level gathering of global experts. Benan Barwick/CNNCoffee connoisseurs Read MoreFar from being just coffee exporters, Ethiopians are also major coffee lovers. Cafes densely line the streets of the capital Addis Ababa, and in 2013/14 3.6 million bags were consumed in the country, representing 71.6% of the total domestic consumption of Africa and 8% of all exporting countries.TO.MO.CA, with six branches in Ethiopia's capital, is one of the most recognizable cafe brands. It has been owned by three generations of the same family for over 60 years, and now the company is opening its first international outpost in Tokyo, Japan, this May. Traditional coffee ceremony is very sacred to the Ethiopian culture. It's not just about the drinking of coffee but it's a spiritual ceremony.Wondwossen Meshesha"Ethiopians are coffee drinkers with a history of drinking and enjoying coffee for over 1,000 years," says Wondwossen Meshesha, the 28-year-old grandson of TO.MO.CA's founder and the company's current chief operations officer."Here, it's not just about getting a coffee on your way to work," he continues. "Ethiopians socialize and meet their business partners in coffee shops."Meshesha says that only 20% of the coffee in the country is commercially farmed, with the rest coming from small holder farmers, who harvest coffee mainly in forest. "The specialty of Ethiopian coffee comes from the emphasis of consistency in production of quality coffee rather than volume of coffee production," the young businessman adds. JUST WATCHEDInvestment pours into Ethiopian coffeeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHInvestment pours into Ethiopian coffee 00:58More than caffeineIn Ethiopia, consuming coffee has traditionally been a ceremonial affair with a deep, spiritual meaning, conducted at home. The beans are roasted in an open pan so that their rich aroma draws family, neighbors and other guests to gather. After they are ground with a mortar and pestle, the coffee is brewed in a jug and poured into small cups from a height, with an up-and-down motion. Cups are filled to the brim, representing a wish for "fullness of life" for the guest, and there are three servings, the last of which is called baraka, or blessing. "[The] traditional coffee ceremony is very sacred to the Ethiopian culture. It's not just about the drinking of coffee but it's a spiritual ceremony. Both Christians and Muslim practice it, and its purpose is spirituality, and family and social gathering," says Meshesha. Benan Barwick/CNNHe feels certain that, in spite of the increasingly fast pace of life, the coffee ceremony won't die out because of the special status it enjoys in Ethiopian culture. However Meshesha adds that his company, and other coffee shops which have sprouted across Ethiopia's cities in recent years, try to present traditional coffee drinking in a modern way. Away from abundant local consumption, the government is trying to promote Ethiopian coffee as a premium product abroad, and increase exports from 190,837 metric tonnes in 2013/14, to 200,000 which would generate $1 billion in revenue. "We have 5,000 varieties of coffee in Ethiopia," says Meshesha. "It has huge potential." More from Africa ViewRead this: A grand dam with the power to transform EthiopiaRead this: Why Kenya is the flower garden of EuropeEditor's Note: Each week, Africa View explores the trends, figures and initiatives shaping Africa. From education and energy to technology and innovation, it showcases topics and influential sectors driving countries on the continent.

Alex Court and Diane McCarthy, for CNN

2015-03-18 11:55:19

business

business

https://www.cnn.com/2015/03/18/business/mauritius-fresh-fruit/index.html

Family ties mix with fresh fruit on an island paradise - CNN

There's much more to Mauritius than golden beaches and grand hotels. SKC Surat has grown from a fruit and veg market trader to the country's market leader.

business, Family ties mix with fresh fruit on an island paradise - CNN

Family ties mixed with fresh fruit on an island in the sun

Story highlightsMauritius' fresh fruit and veg market leader started on a small hold farmThese days the firm's distribution center can hold 1,300 tons of fresh fruit and vegetablesThe family started the islands' first dairy, and will open its sixth supermarket franchise (CNN)Golden beaches and grand hotels can all be found in Mauritius, but there is much more to this island paradise.The country, located some 500 miles east of Madagascar, has been attracting global investors for decades. But there is also a healthy local appetite for business development -- one of the many reasons the country has been hailed as an African success story.One company demonstrating this entrepreneurial drive is fresh food suppliers SKC Surat."My father Sooklall Surat, started as a farmer with one hectare of land," says Suren Surat, who is now CEO of the company his father founded sixty years ago. "The land was next to our house, where we lived. My father was the first grower at that time, the pioneer for growing strawberries and artichokes in Mauritius."Suren Surat has been part of the company from the beginning. The family had enough offspring to start a cricket squad, but the team dedicated its efforts towards business success.Read MoreAs a kid, Surat would get up early to help his father on the small farm before going to school. "Whatever he was growing, people were coming to buy in our garden, wholesale...So my father decided to go retail," Surat remembers. JUST WATCHEDFresh produce in MauritiusReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHFresh produce in Mauritius 04:31Shift to retailThe family's first stall was in Curepipe market in the country's highest town. It was here, not far from the famous extinct volcanic crater "Trou aux Cerfs", that the family business started to really grow. Lychees, pineapple and mangoes all bloom in Mauritius' tropical climate, but the weather stops oranges, apples, and plums from sprouting. When Sooklall Surat started importing foreign fruit, others followed suit.Import/Export Sooklall's brother Shyam focused on selling fresh produce from abroad, attracting customers with foreign tastes. He built a busy operation, but the fast flow of goods didn't stop the family monitoring the fruits and vegetables."We say you need to be able to talk to the fresh produce -- this is the success of the business," says Suren Surat. 'Work is work'Estimates say the Mauritian economy grew by 3.5% in 2014 and will top 4% in 2015 -- impressive statistics in a country which the World Bank says does a better job of supporting business than Japan, France and Spain. In such a competitive market, guts, good relations and hard work are essential. Suren says that the business keeps the family together, with different members taking control of areas like import and distribution. "We've seen many local companies, Mauritius companies, who are family business who split," says Suren Surat. "But luckily I have to say our grandparents, our mother, father have taught us how to manage."JUST WATCHEDKPMG boss bullish on business prospects in AfricaReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHKPMG boss bullish on business prospects in Africa 04:57The company's next leaders will have to do more than manage the fresh produce. Recently, the family started the islands' first dairy, and is soon to open its sixth supermarket franchise.It's all part of the strategy to keep things fresh on the island that is home to over 1.3 million people."The future is very very important," says Shyam Surat. "I would advise any people, mainly in Africa or this part of the islands, to grow more fruit and veggies. And this is the future because people have to eat."More from Marketplace AfricaRead this: Top 10: Africa's 'Cities of Opportunity'Read this: South Africa's plums blossom into big businessEditor's Note: CNN Marketplace Africa covers the macro trends impacting the region and also focuses on the continent's key industries and corporations.

John Blake, CNN

2019-01-20 08:18:41

news

us

https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/20/us/mlk-legacy-supreme-court/index.html

The Supreme Court may take a chunk out of MLK's legacy - CNN

Three landmark civil rights laws are as central to the Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy as his "I Have a Dream" speech. But a new conservative bloc on the Supreme Court is poised to dismantle them -- while likely claiming to honor King's legacy.

us, The Supreme Court may take a chunk out of MLK's legacy - CNN

A new Supreme Court is poised to take a chunk out of MLK's legacy

(CNN)One is called the "child of the storm." Another is "the crown jewel." The third was dubbed "the voice of justice."They are the three great laws of the civil rights movement: the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.A new conservative bloc on the Supreme Court though may soon treat them as something else: outdated "racial entitlements" that need to be put back in their place. President Lyndon Johnson congratulates the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. at the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.That's the dreaded future some experts envision for these landmark laws now that Justice Brett Kavanaugh has joined the Supreme Court. They warn that, for the first time, the high court has five firmly conservative judges who were groomed to dismantle the legal legacy of these laws, which have stood for 50 years. "They will chip, chip away at these laws until there is nothing left," says Carol Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy." Read More"I could see the court tilting further and further to the right until we end up with a dystopian society."Such steady erosion would halt what some call the "Second American Civil Rights Revolution." It would also destroy a central plank in the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. When the nation celebrates the King holiday on Monday, much of the focus will be on his stirring speeches and dramatic marches.But these three laws are as central to King's legacy as his "I Have a Dream" speech. They are in some ways the legal foundation for the "Beloved Community" he evoked in his speeches and books. While he wasn't the only person who fought and died for these laws -- there were countless others who did the same -- King's role in their passage was indispensable. Today these laws touch virtually every American. They have changed everything from how women are treated in the workplace to protecting people with disabilities. Yet few realize these laws came about only because of a brutal struggle. And even fewer may be aware how a new high court could unravel them -- all while claiming to honor the civil rights leader.Here's how some legal scholars and historians say it could happen.The Fair Housing Act: Changing the way we define discriminationIt was one of the most frightening moments in his ministry, and it was all caught on film. It was in August 1966 and King had launched a campaign to integrate housing in Chicago. He was about to lead a march on a sunny summer day when a white mob confronted him in a park. Someone threw a rock, and it hit King in the head. He fell to a knee, a look of fear visible on his face."I have never seen, even in Mississippi and Alabama, mobs as hateful as I've seen here in Chicago," King told reporters afterward.The question that haunts King's last day in MemphisKing's Chicago campaign would ultimately languish. But his assassination two years later would spark the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act. The legislation had been stalled, but President Lyndon Johnson successfully urged Congress to pass it, saying it would honor King's legacy. When he signed it into law, Johnson declared, "The voice of justice speaks again." The fair housing law is one of the most consequential ones in America. It literally hits people where they live. It outlaws discrimination in the renting, buying and financing of homes based on race, religion, national origin and gender. It also protects families with children and people with disabilities seeking housing. "It goes way beyond race, and it has from the very start," says Gregory D. Squires, editor of "The Fight for Fair Housing: Causes, Consequences and Future Implications of the 1968 Fair Housing Act."The act is less well known than the other two landmark laws. But it's become a battleground for one of the most powerful tools used to fight discrimination of any kind. That tool is called the "disparate impact standard," and many legal scholars expect the court's conservative bloc to abolish it.The standard looks not at the racial intent but the racial impact of a policy. The government doesn't have to catch a landlord or mortgage lender being intentionally racist to conclude they're discriminating. It looks at statistical evidence, which often reveals racial disparities."A policy that concentrates low income housing vouchers in poor, minority neighborhoods, for example, is every bit as discriminatory as a whites-only listing -- per a disparate impact reading of the Fair Housing Act," Kriston Capps explained in an article for CityLab magazine called "Is the Fight for Fair Housing Over?"Riots erupted in Chicago and other cities after King's 1968 assassination.Critics of disparate impact, though, say it's a contrived legal theory that encourages frivolous lawsuits and the use of racial quotas. They say the Fair Housing Act was only meant to target intentional discrimination.The Obama administration relied on disparate impact to secure a $335 million settlement in 2011 against Bank of America. The government concluded the bank's now-defunct Countrywide Financial unit had charged black and Latino customers higher rates and fees than white applicants with similar credit histories. The standard is crucial, civil rights advocates say, because it's used not only in housing law, but other areas such as in education and employment regulations. Plus, the most insidious forms of racism are no longer overt, they say: Few people are going to be dumb enough to write a memo saying don't rent to Mexicans or Muslims. The standard gives advocates a radar for detecting discrimination even when it's hidden or unintentional. Disparate impact, though, has been hanging by a legal thread at the Supreme Court. Justice Anthony Kennedy was the only conservative who voted to preserve the standard during a crucial housing case in 2015. He said the courts shouldn't just pay attention to intentional racism. In his decision upholding the standard, he alluded to the damage done by "unconscious prejudices and disguised animus."Brett Kavanaugh will help dismantle key civil rights laws, activists say.Kennedy has retired -- while the four conservative justices who dissented in that case are still on the court. They're now joined by Kennedy's replacement, Kavanaugh, who has a history of being skeptical of disparate impact theory, according to several groups that examined his record. The high court may now be poised to render the Fair Housing Act toothless -- and, some say, dramatically narrow the definition of discrimination. "You'd have to prove that a real estate agent said, 'I'm not going to sell you a house because you're black,' and they're not going to do that," says Peter Irons, author of "A People's History of the Supreme Court," which looks at how the high court has acted to thwart social change.It could mark a return to a segregated America, when banks and real estate agents used various means to prevent the "wrong kind of people" from moving into white neighborhoods, Squires says. "We would probably see less movement in the direction of more diverse communities, and increasing incidents of discrimination," says Squires, who is also a sociology professor at the George Washington University. "Housing providers would feel empowered to do things they wouldn't do today with disparate impact."How Brett Kavanaugh will collide with a changing AmericaThe Trump administration appears to be feeling empowered enough to question the standard. The Washington Post recently reported that officials are considering rolling back the use of disparate impact in ways that would dilute federal rules against discrimination of women and people of color in areas such as housing and education. Such a move would take the United States back to a pre-civil rights era, writes Nancy LeTourneau in a Washington Monthly column about the proposed rule change."We'll be headed back to the 1950s when it comes to civil rights," she says, "with racists given free rein to discriminate as long as they don't make racially biased statements about it in public." The 1965 Voting Rights Act: Taking it off 'life support'Here's a thought that frightens some people who worry about the spread of voting restrictions across America: Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. is now considered the swing vote on the Supreme Court. Civil rights advocates have long regarded Roberts as an implacable foe of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which targets racially discriminatory voting restrictions. He was a "key foot solider" in the Reagan administration's attempts to weaken the law as a litigator in the Justice Department. One Justice Department lawyer told Mother Jones that Roberts "had it in for the Voting Rights Act" as far back as the 1980s, noting that he thought it should only address intentional discrimination. He still does, says Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote." "I don't think John Roberts believes in the Voting Rights Act," she says. "Because John Roberts has this veneer of respectability, folks find it very difficult to place uber-right ideologies in that veneer. If you're looking at the man's record, you can't be hopeful."In 2013, Roberts wrote the ruling that struck down a key section of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder. Section 5 had stipulated that states with a history of racially discriminatory voting first had to "pre-clear" any voting change with the federal government. The Rev. James J. Reeb was killed in 1965 in Selma, Alabama, after going to march there for voting rights laws.That section of the law was transformative. Before the Voting Rights Act, the South was virtually an apartheid state. Black people who tried to register to vote were sometimes beaten or murdered. Voter registration offices were closed or rarely opened in black areas, and blacks voters faced "literacy tests" that were nearly impossible to pass.King called the right to vote the "No. 1 civil rights issue." "So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote, I do not possess myself," King said in a 1957 speech at the Lincoln Memorial, "Give Us the Ballot -- We Will Transform the South." "I cannot make up my mind -- it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact -- I can only submit to the edict of others."His leadership was vital in forcing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. He helped organize and lead a campaign in Selma, Alabama, that was designed specifically to produce a voting rights bill.The law is known today as "the crown jewel" of the movement. The dramatic expansion of black political power within the last 30 years was made possible by the act. No Voting Rights Act, no President Barack Obama.Toobin: Chief justice out to end affirmative actionIn the Shelby decision, Roberts said the court was not overturning the law's permanent ban on racial discrimination in voting. It was merely jettisoning a formula that unfairly targeted states with a history of racially discriminatory voting practices. He praised the Voting Rights Act, saying, "There is no denying that, due to the Voting Rights Act, our nation has made great strides."Roberts' rhetoric offered a sneak preview of how the court will go after other civil rights laws, some say: Gut them while celebrating their importance. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin described Roberts' reasoning this way: "Declare victory in the nation's fight against racial discrimination and then to disable the weapons with which that struggle was won."Voting rights advocates still hold out some hope for what remains of the Voting Rights Act, but the results so far have been mixed. Section 2 of the act bans racially discriminatory voting practices once they go into effect. It also bans any local voting changes that have "the result" of denying racial minorities participation in the political process. But some say relying only on Section 2 hurls voting rights back to the way they were before the law ever existed. Then, as now, voters had to spend a lot of time and money on lawsuits that target racially discriminatory voting changes after they went into effect. King's leadership was crucial on civil rights legislation, but Johnson and others played key roles. Voting rights activists recently tried to use Section 2 to go after the Texas Legislature.They argued before the high court that state lawmakers violated Section 2 when they drew congressional and legislative maps that diluted minority voters. The conservative bloc on the high court, though, voted 5-4 last year in Abbott v. Perez to uphold all but one of Texas' congressional and state legislative districts. One voting rights expert said that decision gives "states like Texas freer rein for repression of minority voting rights." The high court's decision rejected a lower court finding that lawmakers had violated the Voting Rights Act by drawing maps that discriminated against black and Latino voters. Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority in the Abbott decision that courts must presume the "good faith" of state lawmakers when gauging whether their voting changes were driven by racism.That same month, the court's conservative bloc also approved Ohio's purging of its voting rolls, a move that some critics say changes voting rights to a "use it or lose it" proposition. Anderson says the high court's conservative bloc isn't finished with the Voting Rights Act."They will go after Section 2 and just say there's no need for the Voting Rights Act; people can vote if they want to," says Anderson, who is also a professor of African-American studies at Emory University in Atlanta.The conservative bloc on the high court will then treat voting ID laws, which discourage millions of Americans from voting, as an issue of character, not discrimination, Anderson says. She doesn't expect Kavanaugh to change the court's trajectory on voting rights. He was part of a panel of three federal judges that upheld a South Carolina voter ID law in 2012.The character argument is already being invoked. In 2016, an Alabama election official said he opposes automatically registering voters when they turn 18 because allowing "lazy people" to register without any effort would "cheapen" the civil rights movement's voting rights legacy.The greatest MLK speeches you never heard"They're going to treat the issue of voter turnout, the issue of voter registration, as a singular moral issue, a personal failing," Anderson says, "not a structural one that the state has put into place." One legal commentator says voting rights are on "life support," and that the United States is in the midst of "the worst decade for voter suppression since the 1940s." Anderson evokes another era when she thinks of life after the movement's "crown jewel" has been tarnished. It would look in some ways like America before the Civil War -- half-slave, half-free -- half of the country making voting more accessible while the other half throws up restrictions. "We're going to have the kind of political battles that become so frayed," Anderson says, "that it will feel like a Disunited States." The 1964 Civil Rights Act: Goodbye affirmative action?It was called "the child of a storm," the product of one of the most turbulent periods in American history during peacetime. At the center of that storm was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.The 1964 Civil Rights Act was birthed not just in idealism, but also blood. Kennedy first introduced a civil rights bill in 1963. Lyndon Johnson, however, could only summon the congressional will to pass the law by invoking Kennedy's death after a ferocious yearlong legislative battle.What pushed Kennedy to introduce the bill was relentless pressure from King and other civil rights protesters. King led a bloody civil rights campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963 that provoked outrage across the globe. He also wrote his classic "Letter From Birmingham Jail" during the protests.President John F. Kennedy goes on TV to urge passage of a civil rights bill. Kennedy went on national television to call for a civil rights bill in June 1963. He echoed King's letter so much that "in a powerful sense, King and the movement were the authors of the president's oratory," historian Jonathan Rieder wrote.King was ecstatic after hearing Kennedy's speech."Can you believe that white man not only stepped up to the plate, he hit it over the fence!" he said.The law spelled the end of "For Whites Only" signs in public places. But it didn't just help racial minorities. It explicitly banned discrimination against women and religious minorities as well. It inspired millions of women to enter the workplace. And it served as a model for other anti-discrimination measures such as the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.It also spawned one of the most controversial legacies of the civil rights movement: the use of affirmative action, particularly in higher education.Mention affirmative action, and some people's blood pressure immediately spikes. There's a popular argument among conservatives that King opposed affirmative action. It's not true. Although King did not use the phrase "affirmative action" -- it was coined by Kennedy -- he supported the concept."A society that has done something special against the Negro for hundreds of years must now do something special for the Negro," King wrote in his final book, "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?"There's also a popular belief that affirmative action is used today to set racial quotas and compensate for slavery and segregation.But the high court has long banned those uses of affirmative action. In its 1978 decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges could consider the race of applicants only for the purposes of building diversity in a student body.Affirmative action in higher education survived a near-death experience in 2016 when Justice Anthony Kennedy cast a surprising and pivotal vote upholding the University of Texas' race-based admissions plan. But the rationale used to justify the Bakke and Texas decisions is also hanging by a thread. The court's conservative bloc may soon ban colleges from considering the race of applicants under any circumstances, even to promote diversity, some say. Chief Justice John Roberts has been hostile to the legal legacy of the civil rights movement, advocates say.What inspires such pessimism? All five conservatives on the bench come out of a conservative legal movement that was formed in part to strike down anti-discrimination laws. That movement says dividing people up by race is unconstitutional, that the Constitution is "colorblind" and that all Americans should be treated as individuals, not as members of a racial or ethnic group.Roberts, the chief justice, alluded to this legal point of view when he once wrote in a voting rights case, "It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race."The high court has been led by conservatives before, but nothing like this new bloc, says Garrett Epps, a constitutional law professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law."It really is a group of people who self-identify as movement conservatives, and their mission is to take the courts back and fundamentally change their function in our political system," Epps says.Roberts already has written an opinion striking down some school district plans designed to promote diversity. In 2007, Roberts drew a moral equivalence between two districts' plans to keep schools from becoming racially segregated and Jim Crow-era schools that banned black children from attending.Roberts cited the 1954 landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which outlawed the "separate but equal" doctrine that led to segregated schools, in the 5-4 opinion that struck down the plans in Seattle and Louisville, Kentucky."Before Brown, schoolchildren were told where they could and could not go to school based on the color of their skin. The school districts in these cases have not carried the heavy burden of demonstrating that we should allow this once again -- even for very different reasons," Roberts wrote. Kavanaugh is equally opposed to affirmative action, some civil rights advocates say.The NAACP described him as a "hard-core ideologue" who is "hostile" to affirmative action. The group pointed to his work helping the Bush administration's unsuccessful 2003 challenge to a University of Michigan admission program that considered race. The NAACP noted Kavanaugh once wrote that "the Constitution does not allow governmental racial classifications." If affirmative action in higher education is struck down, some people say they already know what to expect. They cite California.King pressured Kennedy to call for a civil rights bill by leading protests and going to jail. In 1996, nearly two decades after the Bakke decision, California voters passed Proposition 209, which banned the use of affirmative action in educational settings. Following the ban, admission offers to blacks at UCLA and the University of California, Berkeley, fell by 55%, according to one estimate. One UCLA faculty member told The New Yorker that his school ended up "looking more like Ole Miss." "We had a massive plummeting of Latino and African-American students in law schools and in medical schools," says Anderson, author of "One Person, No Vote." The ban still stands.Epps, a contributor to The Atlantic Monthly, says he expects the new conservative majority to strike down affirmative action while borrowing from the rhetorical playbook Roberts flashed in the Voting Rights Act decision. These justices won't admit that they're overturning a landmark law. They'll say they're actually fulfilling the original goal of the civil rights laws by creating a colorblind society, he says. "Of course, they're never going to say we decided to change national policy," Epps says. "It's going to be a lot of language like the Seattle case. There's going to be a lot of pious language about 'We yield to no one in our contempt for racism.' " But Epps says they'll really be thinking, " 'And that's precisely why white people have to win.' " The ripple effect of such decisions could sweep aside much of the civil rights movement's legal legacy, says Epps, who is also author of "American Justice 2014: Nine Clashing Visions on the Supreme Court."The United States may be on the verge of entering a post-civil rights landscape, he says.Epps cited an article in The New Republic more four years ago about the end of the civil rights movement."We may be at that place now," he says.Power to the people or the court?There is, however, one optimistic scenario for some who dread the rise of a new conservative court. The power of the people will eventually beat the power of the court, says University of Chicago law professor Gerald Rosenberg.Rosenberg is the author of "The Hollow Hope: Can Courts Bring About Social Change?" He doesn't buy into the doomsday scenarios. King waves to supporters during the 1963 March on Washington. "If you think about the major social changes in the 20th century -- Social Security, the minimum wage, nondiscrimination laws, Medicare and Medicaid -- they are all acts of Congress, not the courts."He says a new high court can't reverse the most significant changes embedded in civil rights laws as long as most Americans support them."Social change almost always comes through the political process," he says, "not the courts."Some might argue with Rosenberg by pointing to one of the most infamous periods in Supreme Court history. In the late 19th century, the high court obliterated post-Civil War racial progress with a series of blatantly racist decisions that culminated in 1896 with Plessy v. Ferguson. That notorious ruling upheld racial segregation laws, sanctioning the separate but equal doctrine that undergirded Jim Crow for nearly a century. Rosenberg though points to Plessy and that Supreme Court era to make the opposite point -- that the high court isn't as all-powerful as people think.What if the high court had ruled against the separate but equal doctrine, he asks, and banned segregation laws throughout America? Most white Americans would have ignored the decision, he says, because white supremacy was too ingrained."You think that would have mattered one whit in practice?" he says. "The court absolutely eviscerated civil rights laws in the late 19th century in part because white Americans had no interest in them."Power, he says, ultimately belongs to the people."I think we're in for some really tough times," he says. "In the short turn there's going to be some bad stuff. But in the long run it's up to voters."Epps shares some of that optimism. He says the United States will eventually have to embrace "its demographic destiny" because of the browning of America. But it can't thrive if it restricts the rights of racial minorities whose talents it will need to prosper.Three ways MLK speaks to our timeBut it's what happens in the short term that worries him."We could have a serious transition problem," Epps says. "We could have a white-run minority political system resisting successfully, for quite a long time, the transition to a multiracial system. There could be a lot of suffering, a lot of lost opportunities for our society and for young people of all races."If that dystopian period becomes permanent, though, all bets are off. The three great laws of the civil rights movement would no longer inspire poetic tributes celebrating the nation's march toward King's Beloved Community.Instead they'd become discredited legal relics from an era of optimism that would seem even further away than it does today.

John Blake, CNN

2019-01-12 11:12:03

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/12/us/meteorologist-racism-ritual-blake-analysis/index.html

Analysis: It's time to give some bigots a break - CNN

What happened to the meteorologist accused of a racial slur has become a ritual. He was tied to the social media version of a whipping post. But here's a blasphemous thought: What if this ritual actually reinforces racism instead of combating it?

us, Analysis: It's time to give some bigots a break - CNN

Analysis: It's time to give some bigots a break

(CNN)I'm a bigot.I'm sexist.I'm a homophobe.Yes, I'm one of those people. I haven't been busted on social media. No one has caught me using a racial slur -- no tearful Facebook apology from me with statements like, "I'm sorry you took that word in a way I didn't mean."So what prompts my confession? It's this growing unease I've experienced over the way social media mobilizes to condemn people caught using slurs or acting in other intolerant ways. Like the New York meteorologist who was recently fired after he said "Martin Luther Coon" during a broadcast.Read MoreWhat happened to the weatherman has become a ritual. He was tied to the social media version of a whipping post. Outrage followed. His apology -- complete with furrowed brow, unshaved face and pained wife by his side -- was too late. He was fired, despite his claim it was an accident. The news cycle moved on, cueing up the next person caught saying or doing something stupid.JUST WATCHEDLemon to meteorologist: We all make mistakesReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHLemon to meteorologist: We all make mistakes 02:05But here's a blasphemous thought:What if this ritual of going after people like the weatherman actually reinforces racism and other "isms" instead of combating them?What if this hyper-focus on an individual's wrong distracts us from directing our outrage at the most destructive forms of intolerance -- the kind that's baked so much into our everyday lives that we hardly notice them?We get outraged over a man for saying "Martin Luther Coon," but then we go to back to our all-white communities with our all-white friends and lose no sleep over what we're doing to brown kids at our Mexican border.It's putting a Band Aid on a gaping wound; we sometimes prefer to tweet our outrage rather than deal with tougher questions, says Robin DiAngelo, author of "White Fragility," a book that examines why it's difficult for many white Americans to talk about race. "We make these kind of superficial scapegoats that we can use to make ourselves feel better about racism, but we don't address policies, practices or structures," she says. "To the white people who are clutching their pearls, I really have to ask: How integrated is your life? Yeah, you voted for Obama twice, but do you have any black friends?"Questioning our zero tolerance policy on intoleranceDon't get me wrong. I get the outrage people feel when they hear a slur. I feel it too.I've been called the n-word. I've been racially profiled by police. I've had white co-workers mistake me more than once for a black colleague I look nothing like. Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to just be white for a week, to move through a world where you're not a minority and people don't move out of the neighborhood when too many of "us" move in.Words matter. They sting. They can lead to all sorts of monstrosities. I remember my father telling me just before he died two weeks before his 92nd birthday: "I've been called n----- so much I thought it was my middle name." So I get the zero tolerance policy on calling out intolerance on social media -- no mercy for those who never showed us any mercy.What's behind the reaction to weatherman's slur But here's why I think a zero tolerance policy on slurs will fail, just as it did with the war on drugs.None of us are innocent. But the way we talk about intolerance on social media doesn't reflect that.Most of us have been taught that some people are more valuable than others. That message infiltrates our lives whether we know it or not. We are profoundly and routinely biased. Social science has proven this point over and over again.The author Jessica Nordell describes how bias infiltrates our lives in her essay in The Atlantic, "Is This How Discrimination Ends?""If you're Latino, you'll get less pain medication than a white patient. If you're an elderly woman, you'll receive fewer life-saving interventions than an elderly man. If you're a man being evaluated for a job as a lab manager, you will be given more mentorship, judged as more capable, and offered a higher starting salary than if you were a woman. If you are an obese child, your teacher is more likely to assume you're less intelligent than if you were slim." The research shows something else -- you can act in racist and sexist ways even if you consciously reject those behaviors. I recently learned that when I caught myself doing something that could have gone viral if it had been filmed.Revelation at Lowe'sSome people go to Lowe's to build. I went there and had my self-image torn down.I went to the home improvement store one Saturday morning to buy some equipment to paint my deck. I wanted to know the best paint and brushes to use but didn't know where to start. I walked up to a counter to ask for help. Two men stood behind the counter, a shaggy-haired white man busy on the phone and a young black man with a military bearing who was alone, not attending to any customers. I didn't ask the black guy for help, though he was free. It wasn't until I got home and started staining my deck that it hit me:"Damn," I thought. "I just racially profiled a black man -- and I'm black!"New York meteorologist fired after using racial slur on airI was totally unaware what was happening when I decided to ignore the black guy. It was unintentional. My decision was made in a millisecond. But how was my attitude any different than that of the white Canadian woman who was caught on video last year demanding to see a white doctor because she didn't want a "brown" one?The experience didn't just humble me, it scared me. If I -- someone who is black and has read about race and bias for years -- could act like this, what was possible for others who never thought much about these issues?"We all absorb this stuff," says DiAngelo. "Sometimes the thoughts that pass across my mind are shocking to me. I don't think I can be free of it."Creating a new ritualWhat do we do then? Do we give up fighting intolerance in ourselves and others because we all have it?Perhaps there's another way. Our language and behavior should evolve. We shouldn't talk about racism, for example, as an either/or proposition: Use a slur and you're the Grand Imperial Wizard of the KKK; if you've never used one you're free of intolerance.I'm talking about creating space for people to admit their flaws -- like what I did in Lowe's.We've done it for other issues. People can stand up in 12-step meetings and admit they're addicts but we still see their humanity. We see ourselves in their struggles -- there but for the grace of God go I.I'm not saying create "racist rehab" where people can escape responsibility for cruel actions by simply claiming, "My subconscious made me do it."No, I'm talking about something else. Here's a modest guide to help us decide when it's right to bring the hammer down when someone is being intolerant, and when we should pause:Make a distinction between those who show self-reflection and sincerity and those who don't. It's not just whether they apologize, but how.On one end of the spectrum are those who claim innocence, who say they didn't do wrong or that they were misunderstood. They don't deserve a break.We saw an example of that this week.King not worried about backlash over racial comments as GOP silent over next stepsSteve King, the Iowa congressman, was condemned on social media when he was quoted saying: "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization -- how did that language become offensive?"King denied he was being racially offensive, saying he was not an advocate for "white nationalism and white supremacy."But if a white elected official doesn't see a problem with embracing a term like "white supremacy," questions should be raised.On the other end of the spectrum is Starbucks. DiAngelo cites how the company responded last year after two black men were shown on video being arrested in a store just for being there. The coffee chain closed shops nationwide for an afternoon of racial bias training and announced it would hold further training for employees."They said, 'We messed up,' " she says. " 'We're going to do something about it and we're going to make public what we've done about it.' "That's the right way to make amends, she says: Apologize profusely and sincerely; say you're going to work on whatever caused you do what you did; and say you're going to report back to critics in the future to let them know about your progress.Jeremy Kappell, the weatherman who was fired from WHEC-TV in Rochester for his MLK remark, may fall somewhere in the middle.He repeatedly said it was an accident -- he was speaking so quickly that he jumbled his words.He said he would never insult King or risk the future of his family or career.Al Roker defends the meteorologist who was fired for a racist slur"That was not a word I said, I promise you that," he said. "If you did feel that it hurt you in any way, I sincerely apologize."Another TV weatherman, Al Roker, came to Kappell's defense. He tweeted:"I think @JeremeyKappell made an unfortunate flub and should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbc. Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I've done) understands."I think @JeremyKappell made an unfortunate flub and should be given the chance to apologize on @news10nbc Anyone who has done live tv and screwed up (google any number of ones I've done) understands.— Al Roker (@alroker) January 9, 2019 DiAngelo, though, is ambivalent about Kappell's response. "Was it really a slip?" she says. "We don't know. I gotta be honest, I don't know if it was unintentional. It certainly is an easy claim to make. We are in a political moment where there is incredible permission to be explicitly racist."Lesson from another act of cruelty caught on filmHere's a little secret that I think many minorities can identify with. Sure, we get angry when people get caught saying or doing the wrong thing. But we get angrier when others claim they could never be like those people.One of my best friends is a fellow bigot -- a white minister I've known for years. He freely admits he still struggles with the racism he absorbed growing up in the segregated South.His confession makes me trust him more, not less.What I look for is the type of honesty I saw reflected in another act of cruelty caught on film, in a different era.I was watching a documentary on the great Hollywood director George Stevens. He was part of a US Army crew that filmed the liberation of Dachau, a concentration camp in Germany, during the closing days of World War II. He would go on to make classic films like "Shane" and "Giant."Fired weatherman accused of using racial slur says he didn't even know what he said But it was the film he made at Dachau that had the most impact on him. He once said about his experience walking into the camp: "When a poor man, hungry and unseeing because his eyesight is failing, grabs me and starts begging, I feel the Nazi, because I abhor him. I want him to keep his hands off me. And the reason I want him to his hands off me is because I see myself capable of arrogance and brutality to keep him off me. That's a fierce thing. To discover within yourself that which you despise the most in others." We should never retreat from calling out the unapologetic cruelty that we see flashed across social media. But maybe we should temper some of our self-righteousness and remember this the next time we want to tweet when a victim is cued up for saying or doing something cruel or insensitive. We are more like those people we condemn than we want to admit.

John Blake, CNN

2018-11-05 20:55:18

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/05/us/angry-white-man-john-blake/index.html

When the dreaded 'other' is an angry white man - CNN

It is the most insidious form of racism: angry white men who project their aggression onto others. We explain how this anger is driving politics

us, When the dreaded 'other' is an angry white man - CNN

When the dreaded 'other' is an angry white man

(CNN)Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham once delivered an odd warning."We're not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term," he said, while attending the 2012 Republican National Convention.No one is making that complaint anymore.From left, the men accused of the Kroger shooting, Gregory A. Bush; the Tallahassee yoga shooting, Scott Paul Beierle; and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Robert Bowers.Lately, the news seems filled with grim mug shots of angry white guys. A white man allegedly kills two black people at a supermarket after failing minutes earlier to enter a black church. Another opens fire at a yoga studio, killing two people and injuring five more before turning the gun on himself. And a third is accused of massacring 11 worshippers at a synagogue, afterward yelling, "I just want to kill Jews." Yet during this same period, Trump and others have warned Americans of another threat: a caravan of Latino migrants headed toward the United States to seek asylum. They've alternately said the caravan is filled with gang members, "Middle Easterners" and even people with rabies. Trump also announced plans to deploy as many as 15,000 US troops to repel the "invasion" and warned that if any of the caravan's migrants threw rocks at troops, they could be shot -- a threat he later denied.Read MoreNo one is saying the recent spate of shootings can be blamed on the GOP. But the contrast between the terror that many Americans actually experience and the specter of violence that Trump invoked is a classic example of an insidious form of racism that some say is pervasive, though seldom acknowledged:Angry white men seeing "primitive aggressions" in others that they refuse to see in themselves:White men warn the public about vicious Central American gangs invading the United States, even though white men have committed more mass shootings than any other group. Some white men say "radical Islamic terrorists" represent the gravest threat to America, even though far-right violent extremist groups are responsible for more deadly incidents in America since 9/11. Some white men, such as white nationalists who rallied last year in Charlottesville, Virginia, say they are in danger of being replaced by nonwhites, even though they still make up the vast majority of the country's CEOs, billionaires and political leaders.Psychologists have a name for this kind of pattern. It's called projection and happens when people or groups of people project hidden or repressed elements of themselves onto others. But if you're a member of a group that's been deemed "the other" by an angry white man, like Ijeoma Oluo is, this pattern is business as usual.72 hours in America: Three hate-filled crimes. Three hate-filled suspects. There is nothing more frightening to her than an angry white man, she writes in an essay that went viral called, "The Anger of the White Male Lie."Oluo wrote that she constantly lives with the fear that the anger of white men can turn violent toward her and "countless other black people, brown people, disabled people, queer people, trans people, and women of every demographic.""Oh, it's really everywhere," says Olou of this anger. "Every single day it becomes more of a problem. "We have pipe bombs," she says. "We have shooting in synagogues. It's literally killing people." A sin as old as the nationThis may sound like hyperbole. But no one is saying that all white men are inherently violent or that they are the biggest threat to America. To make sweeping generalizations about any group is to make the same mistake that racists and anti-Semites make.Some nonwhite men are responsible for violence in America. Four of the most recent terrorist attacks -- in San Bernardino, Boston, Chattanooga and Fort Hood -- allegedly were committed by Muslim terrorists. And, of course, the September 11 terrorist attacks were committed by Muslims.An undocumented immigrant did kill Mollie Tibbetts, a 20-year-old Iowa student, and a grinning Mexican man featured in a Trump campaign ad did kill two California deputies. JUST WATCHEDCNN fact-checks Trump's racially charged ad ReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHCNN fact-checks Trump's racially charged ad 01:53Yet there is a surprising body of work in literature and psychology that speaks to this tendency of some white people -- in particular, white men -- to quickly see the face of terror in an "other." They do so by projecting some of the uglier, repressed aspects of themselves onto others. This form of racism as projection is part of what the author James Baldwin wrote about in his essay, "Letter from a Region in My Mind." He wrote that the racial tensions menacing America "are involved only symbolically with color.""These tensions are rooted in the very same depths as those from which love springs, or murder. The white man's unadmitted -- and apparently, to him, unspeakable -- private fears and longings are projected onto the Negro."This form of projection formed the psychological backdrop for slavery.White male slave owners in the United States described their slaves as hypersexual beasts who craved sex -- while they raped enslaved women and tortured enslaved men.White male slave owners called slaves lazy and shiftless -- while they sat on porches sipping mint juleps watching them work from sunrise to sunset.This was the form of projection that the late Winthrop D. Jordan described in a classic book on race that looked at the history of white attitudes toward race and slavery called, "White Over Black: American Attitudes toward the Negro, 1550-1812.""White men were attempting to destroy the living image of primitive aggressions which they said was the Negro but was really their own," Jordan wrote.But this form of projecting is not confined to race. It fuels anti-Semitism, says Kenneth M. Reeves, a psychologist and author of the paper, "Racism and projection of the shadow." The Nazis justified their genocidal treatment of Jews by labeling them greedy money-grubbers -- while collecting gold fillings from the teeth of Jewish corpses, Reeves wrote. "The Nazis said, 'Look at the Jews. They're rapacious.' And then they went around looting the wealth of Europe," Reeves told CNN.One of the deadly aspects of projection is that those who do it are often unaware of what they're doing, Reeves says. He says projection is so common that it is a "universal daily drama" that prevents a person who is doing the projecting from really seeing "the other" in their full humanity.He wrote: "The world and its inhabitants are not seen and understood for who they are, but as supposed by evil and wicked mirrors of one's own unknown self."The receiving end of white male angerWhen yours is the unwilling reflection in such a wicked mirror, the issue isn't abstract. Understanding it, even if it's only instinctive, can be the key to survival.As a black man working in a corporate setting, I've noticed a pattern about large and dark men of color. They de-emphasize their physicality, often stooping as they smile excessively and even raise the pitch of their voices so it won't sound too commanding.You don't want a white man projecting his need to dominate onto you, so you adjust your behavior.Sometimes it happens with a woman who is seen as "angry" by a white man.After Oluo wrote her essay on white male anger, a white man wrote her a fuming letter, telling her to be "less angry.""He says 'less angry,'" she wrote, "as if I am not currently adding his email into a file with countless other long-winded missives, dismissals and violent threats from white men who decided to take the time out of their day to let me know in sometimes very disturbing ways that they need me to be 'less angry.'"But this form of projection goes beyond the personal; it shapes our politics.There are people who divide America between red and blue states, but the true fault line may lie between angry white males and the rest. Women are angry at Trump and his party. And it's not just about KavanaughSen. Graham may no longer have to worry. The Republicans are becoming what some call the "Angry White Male Caucus." Already overwhelmingly white, the GOP is seeing a departure of women. Some blame it on the party's general attitude toward the #MeToo campaign and its support of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was recently confirmed to the court after accusations of sexual assault, which he denied. Indeed, the Republicans have become so associated with white male anger that one humorist recently suggested "Americans would feel safer if a huge caravan of angry white men left the country."Why white men are so angryThe Rev. Gibson Stroupe knows something about white male anger. He says he was once gripped by it. He grew up in the segregated South, where he says he used the N-word and remembered once hatching a plan as a teenager to grab a hunting rifle with his friends to harass a man who was attempting to integrate a university in Mississippi.He says he changed because of his faith combined with forging interracial friendships. He has written extensively and lectured widely on racism.He sees some of the anger he once felt in how some white men reacted to the election of the nation's first black president."That was pretty shocking to a lot of us white people, especially white males," says Stroupe, author of "Deeper Water: Sermons for a New Vision." "We're not accustomed to African-American men having power over us."He says one of the ways that some white men deal with that fear is projecting their own violence onto black men."White men recognize how much we've done to black people, especially black men," he says. "Our longing to hold onto our guns so tightly -- we do believe if black men get power over us they're going to do to us what we've done to them."This form of projection has become a powerful political tool, says the Rev. Fred Robinson, executive director of MeckMin, a non-profit interfaith group that sponsored an interfaith service in Charlotte, North Carolina, to support members of the Pittsburgh synagogue that was attacked.Political leaders who project give whites someone to blame when they struggle, he says."Scare the rank-and-file whites to believe that somebody else is the problem: Jews are the problem. Blacks are the problem. Mexicans are the problem. Homosexuals are the problem. It works magically because it's baked in our cultural narrative," says Robinson, an associate pastor at Holy Covenant United Church of Christ in Charlotte.Robinson says he can envision a future where some angry white men will create an apartheid-like political system in the United States where they are able to hold onto power despite becoming a racial minority."The nation will become more bifurcated and will descend into these tribal spaces that I don't think will be good for us," he says. "I do anticipate a lot more pain."And more replays of the psychological drama that lurks behind some of the nation's most tragic events.That would mean more white male anger. More warnings of the "others" invading the United States. More attacks as some white men see others as "wicked mirrors" of their own hidden selves.In that kind of world, there won't be any shortage of angry white men.And for those who are part of "the other," it means one thing: We will continue to pay the price.

John Blake, CNN

2018-06-29 18:00:53

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/29/us/racial-rhetoric/index.html

Why the rules for racial rhetoric are changing - CNN

The standards for racially offensive language are shifting. One word shows how.

us, Why the rules for racial rhetoric are changing - CNN

One word shows how much we've changed the way we talk about race

(CNN)A top exec leaves Netflix after using the N-word in front of black employees. A conservative commentator tells a black man he's out of his "cotton-picking mind" during a televised debate. Roseanne Barr makes a racist tweet, leading to the cancellation of her sitcom.But if you really want to know how far standards for racially offensive speech have changed in America, you only need to start with one word:Macaca.George Allen's political career ended with one word: Macaca.George Allen was a popular Republican US senator cruising to a re-election victory in Virginia in the summer of 2006 when he used the word at a campaign rally to describe an Indian-American man holding a camera in the virtually all-white crowd."So welcome, let's give a welcome to Macaca here. Welcome to America, and the real world of Virginia," Allen said.Read MoreMacaca is a derogatory term meaning filthy monkey that some white colonists in Africa had used to describe African natives. Allen later apologized, saying he didn't know it was a racial slur. But he was criticized so heavily by both Republicans and Democrats that he lost his re-election bid, and his political career -- which some said was destined for the Oval Office -- never recovered. "There are very few people left in either party who want to nominate somebody who has a history of racial insensitivity," political analyst Larry Sabato said at the time.If a politician used Macaca today, would his or her career be finished? That question is debatable because the standards for racially offensive language are shifting, some historians say. Virtually every week a tape of some person spewing racially offensive language in public goes viral. Racist language and imagery dot social media. Critics say President Donald Trump has given people permission to be openly racist. Consider these comments from the President: Some Mexican immigrants are "rapists." Democrats want illegal immigrants to "infest" America. Haitians and Africans come from "s---hole" countries. And some "very fine people" marched alongside white supremacists last summer in Charlottesville, Virginia.Roseanne Barr's racist tweet rekindled debate on how much America has changed under President Trump.Trump rose to political prominence on a racist "birther" conspiracy theory. He repeatedly suggested that the nation's first black President was an Oval Office fraud born in Kenya. The New York Times recently published a "definitive list" of racially insensitive remarks by Trump stretching back to the 1970s. Jeremy Levitt, a professor at Florida A&M University College of Law who has written about Trump, says the President is a "fire-starter," someone who "accentuates our inner-worst biases.""He's a racial arsonist," Levitt says. When "Roseanne" was canceled after Barr's racist tweet, Valerie Jarrett -- the former Obama adviser who was the comedian's target -- said Trump was partly responsible because "the tone does start at the top." The White House didn't respond to requests for comment.An unspoken deal This constant barrage of racially offensive language causes standards to shift, says Jacob Levy, author of an essay titled "The Weight of the Words.""Things begin to seem normal when they weren't normal before. Now you have a large population with more tolerance for racism than would have been publicly acceptable 10 years ago," says Levy, who is also a political scientist at McGill University in Canada.It used to be different. Few people knew what Macaca meant when Allen used it in 2006, but it didn't matter. There was zero tolerance for any remark that was seen as racist.Former NFL sportscaster Jimmy Snyder, known as "Jimmy the Greek," lost his job when he said that blacks were superior athletes because of breeding from slavery. And Trent Lott resigned as Senate majority leader in 2002 after he seemed to suggest that the United States could have avoided "all these problems" if it had remained segregated.Using racially offensive talk seemed like a vulgar relic of a shameful era, Levy says.In "The Weight of the Words" essay, he wrote: "The norm against publicly legitimizing Klan-type explicit racism was built up over a long time, calling on white Americans to be better than they were, partly by convincing them that they were better."Somewhere in the late 1960s, most American politicians made an unspoken deal with the public. Dog-whistle phrases, or coded racial appeals, were fine: states' rights, forced busing and law and order. But raw racist rhetoric was no longer acceptable. People may quibble over when this deal was made. Some point to one person and one year:George Wallace and 1968.George Wallace abandoned raw racial language in his 1968 presidential run.Wallace was a proud white supremacist whose favorite speechwriter was a former Klansman. The former governor of Alabama once vowed in his inaugural speech, "Segregation forever!" He won five Southern states and about 10 million votes when he ran as a third-party candidate for the presidency in 1968. But by the time Wallace ran for president, the rules of racial rhetoric had already begun to change. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated that same year. Race riots were spreading across America. And two monumental civil rights laws -- the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act -- were already reshaping American society.Even Wallace, who used the N-word to appeal to Alabama voters, abandoned raw racial language during his presidential run, historians say. He later apologized for his racially insensitive remarks. Trump's string of racially offensive remarks, though, unraveled that deal, Levy says: "There's so much desensitization to what Trump says that you can't stay shocked every day."There are already hints that the United States is becoming more intolerant. A new report says that anti-Semitic incidents in the country had their largest single-year increase on record in 2017. Trump's rhetoric and policies are driving a spike in hate crimes against Muslim and South Asian communities, another report says. And the Anti-Defamation League said that white supremacist groups are now hanging banners from freeway overpasses with slogan such as "WHITE FAMILIES MATTER," "'DIVERSITY' IS A CODE WORD FOR GENOCIDE" and "UNjew HUMANITY." Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House chief strategist, recently told a far-right gathering in France: "Let them call you racists. ... Wear it as a badge of honor."There are those, however, who deny the notion that Trump has established a trickle-down racism that emboldens ordinary people to use and accept racist remarks in public.Critics say Trump has given people permission to be openly racist, but others deny that notion.Instead, many support Trump because his language allows them to be comfortable being white, says Ian Haney López, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of "Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class.""He understands that his base sees whites as victimized, and (they) believe one of the primary ways that they are victimized is by being falsely accused of being racist," Haney López says. "Trump says things that border on being racist, and almost dares pundits to label them racist. And then Trump goes to his base and says, 'They're accusing you of being a racist.' "If anything, Trump's language liberates people who felt constrained by political correctness, says Musa Al-Gharbi, a sociologist at Columbia University and author of an essay in The American Sociologist, "Race and the Race for the White House: On Social Research in the Age of Trump." "He's weakened the stigma of being branded a racist," he says. "People feel like they can express themselves much more forcefully when it comes to immigration, crime or inequality. But this is not the same thing as actually becoming more racist." A looming dangerWords matter. Language that dehumanizes another group can lead to all sorts of atrocities -- particularly when they come from people in positions of power, author Maria Konnikova wrote in a 2017 New Yorker essay on "How Norms Change."Konnikova challenged a common assumption about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, when Hutu tribe members murdered at least 800,000 of their Tutsi neighbors in a three-month period.Many people think the violence occurred simply because there was so much ethnic tension between the groups. But both had long held stereotypical views of one another without the scale of violence that occurred, Konnikova wrote.What triggered the violence were the messages that came from people in positions of power and respect in Rwanda, she says. Hutu leaders took to the radio calling Tutsis "cockroaches." Konnikova wrote that "norms can shift at the speed of social life" when the wrong leaders command the public megaphone.Victims of the 1994 Rwanda genocide; one historian says the genocide was made possible in part by the power of words."To a great extent, the norms in Rwanda shifted so rapidly because they did so from the top: Influential radio stations broadcast a powerful, persuasive and constantly repeating message urging listeners to join killing squads and organize roadblocks," Konnikova wrote.No one is saying Americans are poised to go after one another with machetes and commit genocide. But Americans don't have to look at Rwanda to see how dehumanizing language could make atrocities possible, says Jennifer Mercieca, a Texas A&M University speech professor and author of the essay "The Rhetorical Brilliance of Trump the Demagogue.""If you look back in American history, one of the ways that Americans could convince themselves that it was OK to possess people as property is through calling them objects," Mercieca says.Norms are fragile in a country like the US -- a multiethnic democracy where one group that subjugated another is poised to become the minority in the future, says Steven Levitsky, co-author of "How Democracies Die." There is no country in history that has managed to be both multiethnic and genuinely democratic, he said. "I can't come up with a single example of a multiracial society in which there was a reasonable level of racial equality and everyone shared the same rights and democracy was sustained," Levitsky says.In his book, Levitsky talks about a concept known as "defining deviancy down." It's why some say it's dangerous when a society starts accepting offensive language it rejected before. "When unwritten rules are violated over and over, we become overwhelmed -- and then desensitized," Levitsky wrote. "We grow accustomed to what we previously thought to be scandalous." This story has been updated to change a reference to Musa Al-Gharbi's writings.

John Blake, CNN

2018-08-10 11:44:50

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/10/us/white-flight-911-calls/index.html

How 911 calls on blacks are a new twist on something old: white flight - CNN

The recent spate of 911 calls on blacks isn't a symptom of anything new. It's a modern twist on something old, say some historians and those who've lived through it.

us, How 911 calls on blacks are a new twist on something old: white flight - CNN

How 911 calls on blacks are a new twist on something old: white flight

(CNN) It's getting hard to keep up with the latest hashtags devoted to 911 calls on black people. There's #SittingInStarbucksWhileBlack, #BarbecuingWhileBlack, #GolfingWhileBlack, #EatingSubwayWhileBlack, and even #WearingSocksWhileBlack. Those are just some of the infractions committed by black people that caused white callers to dial 911.A white woman called police on black people barbecuing. This is how the community responded As stories of these encounters ricochet across the media, it looks at times as if some mysterious new contagion -- a quickly mutating form of racial profiling -- is taking hold of the collective psyche of White America. But this behavior isn't a symptom of anything new. It's a modern twist on something old, say some historians and those who've lived through it. This aggressive patrolling of public space bears an eerie resemblance to another race-induced contagion in America decades ago. When the courts outlawed overt segregation in the 1950s and '60s, many whites reacted by trying to "privatize" public spaces. They wanted to carve out melanin-free zones in parks, pools and sidewalks to avoid what some folks called "interracial intimacy."Read More That battle led to "white flight," a mass migration to the suburbs of whites who no longer wanted to share their public schools and sidewalks with people of color. What's happening now is White Flight 2.0. Whites are standing their ground. Consciously or unconsciously, they are reasserting their belief that public spaces belong to them alone, says Kevin M. Kruse, a history professor at Princeton University. A black Yale graduate student took a nap in her dorm's common room. So a white student called police "What we see now is the same underlying dynamic -- the feeling that these public spaces cannot be shared," says Kruse, author of "White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism." "But rather than white flight, it's fight. "In the generation before, whites angry that these spaces are being shared or taken over by African-Americans packed up and left. Now they're digging in and fighting." The 911 call may be the weapon of choice right now -- perhaps made more obvious by the use of smartphones and social media -- but some whites have used plenty of other tools to keep people of color off-balance in public spaces. "Black codes" passed after the Civil War mandated that blacks seek permission before traveling. "Sundown towns" displayed placards at the edge of town warning people of color to get off the streets after sunset. During the Jim Crow era, a black person had to step off the curb when a white person approached. Making nonwhite people hop in public to the whims and fears of white people is an American tradition, says Robin DiAngelo, author of "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism."Woman calls the police on a black representative campaigning in Oregon That behavior is meant to send a message -- both then, as well as now with the 911 calls, she says. "That attitude is, 'This public space is ours, not yours. And you need to be in your rightful place,'" says DiAngelo, who is white. "It is the classic, 'Step down off of that curb, I am coming down the sidewalk and you will submit to my presence. I own this country. I own this place. Don't get uppity with me.'" Diagnosing this outbreak is one thing, but stopping it is another. There are no Centers for Disease Control guidelines for changing the mind of someone who sees a black girl selling water on the street as a public safety threat. But talking to those who have been victimized by these 911 calls -- as well as someone who was raised in a community where this behavior was normal -- may help.'You could hear her voice quivering' A first step begins with the victims of the 911 calls. We usually see them play their part on camera -- the befuddled person of color trying to figure out why they're facing a police officer. These moments often become sources of grim humor. People joke about them online. Some have created hashtags like #ExistingWhileBlack and #LivingWhileBlack to try to capture them all. It's easy to forget how emotionally damaging such experiences can be. Felicia Dobson, however, offers a reminder.Three black people checked out of their Airbnb rental. Then someone called the police on them Her family made national news last month when a white Subway employee called 911 on her family because, Dobson says, she thought they might rob the store. She and her husband, Othniel, were on a family trip when they stopped for dinner at a Subway in rural Georgia with their four children, ages 8, 12, 13 and 19, and the children's aunt. Dobson, a college graduate who works in a hospital as an advocate for cancer patients, says she had already been aware of the rash of 911 calls targeting black people. "Every time I see that on the news it just brings tears to my eyes," she says from her home in North Carolina. Her tears turned to shock when it happened to her. She still can't figure out why someone would think a husband and wife would bring their kids along for a robbery. A tape of the 911 call was released, and she listened to the employee tell the operator that "I need somebody to come through here please, ASAP. Now." "I am still shaking and disbelieving," says Dobson. "She added information to make it sound like we were loiterers, like we didn't pay for our food, and we were basically casing Subway. Never said we were a family. Never said we had children with us. She was scared and you could hear her voice quivering."Blacks can't saunter in public without a purpose David Billings can relate to that fear. It's part of his family's inheritance. He grew up in the small town of McComb, Mississippi, during the Jim Crow era. He saw the panic that swept his white community as the civil rights movement reshaped public spaces. His family and friends didn't just lose their "for whites only" signs. They lost their ability to control how blacks could move through those spaces. After integration, the word "public" became a slur, writes David Billings. In his memoir, "Deep Denial: The Persistence of White Supremacy in the United States History and Life," he describes the rules. "Blacks could not walk through a white neighborhood without a purpose such as going to and from work. They could not saunter or wander through neighborhoods. They could not pause or stop to observe the architecture of a particular house." After overt racism was outlawed, Billings writes, whites still found a way to control public space. "We closed down libraries, pools, theaters," he says. "We tried to protect ourselves from having to interact with anyone other than other white people." Then some whites took it a step further. They built "a private culture in defiance of government dictates," he writes. Whites withdrew from the "public sphere" across America and migrated to the suburbs to evade integration. The word "public" became a slur. When it was attached to words like "housing," "transportation" and "schools," he says, it became a code word that meant poor, black and Latino. When Billings hears about the 911 calls today, he sees some of the same forces stirring again. "We feel unsafe if any person of color is in our surroundings and they're not in a servant's role," he says. "It makes us feel vulnerable." Billings grew up in small-town Mississippi during the Jim Crow era. That fear is mingled with something else -- what he calls "IRS," an internalized racial superiority. It's a message that's passed down from one white generation to another, he says, and it's buried so deep that many whites are not even aware it's there. IRS can lead people to do something so unkind and unfeeling that they're oblivious to it, he says. Billings still remembers how his hometown church hired guards one Sunday morning to prevent blacks from attending -- and then proceeded to praise Jesus. "When I was growing up, segregation was so deep and enforced that it became a way of life," he says. "I really didn't have to think about it. It became something that we didn't even notice."Why these encounters are happening now But it would be a mistake to think that white flight only involved a physical retreat of whites from the city to the suburbs, says Kruse, author of "White Flight." They also withdrew their support -- financial, political and social -- from public spaces they could no longer control, he says. A group of black women say a golf course called the cops on them for playing too slow He cites a little-known battle of Atlanta that didn't take place during the Civil War, but during the 1950s and '60s. White Atlantans staged bitter protests during that time in an attempt to avoid sharing space with blacks at public facilities like golf courses, parks and pools. Some thought blacks carried diseases that could be spread in shared pools. One Atlantan wrote in 1959 that "there is nothing more intimate and integrated than a black n----- sitting beside a white girl on the trolley," Kruse recounts."They believed that these public spaces, which they considered their own, had been stolen from them and given to another race," Kruse writes. That resentment spilled over into two bond initiatives in 1962 and 1963. The city of Atlanta was trying to raise $80 million for improvements to schools, sewers and other public works. It also wanted to build a new civic auditorium and cultural center at the city's biggest public park. But the bond initiatives went down to a "smothering defeat," rejected by a margin of almost 2-1 by Atlanta's white community. They felt like any advance for civil rights meant an equal loss for whites, Kruse recounts. "They decided if we're not going to use these spaces, we're not going to fund them," Kruse says. Some of the whites who make 911 calls on black people in public are making a different decision today, he says. They now feel emboldened to reassert themselves because stances that would have been deemed socially unacceptable before are no longer universally condemned, he says. What the Starbucks incident tells us about implicit bias President Trump has created a new environment. And "taking back our country" has taken on a literal meaning for some white people calling 911, he says. "Taking our country back isn't just about larger politics," Kruse says. "It happens in small parcels. It's not just taking the nation back. It's about taking that space back, that park back, that pool back, of taking it back bit by bit." Part of taking it back for some white people is not having to figure out why black and brown people in public make them nervous, says DiAngelo, author of "White Fragility" -- especially if they never admit there's a racial dimension to the 911 calls. "We don't want to see because it challenges our identity as good people," says DiAngelo. "And it would require change that (we) don't want to engage in. There's a refusal to know or see that serves us." Seeking out the messengers So how does anyone reach a person who refuses to know? During the civil rights movement, the nation decided it would no longer tolerate a dual public existence for whites and people of color, Kruse says. But while a court or government can force people to take down the "for whites only" signs in public, it can't force them to dismantle the walls they've built in their hearts. "If it is something that ordinary people are doing, it's a lot harder to root out," says Kruse. "If there isn't the same sort of a major investment of national energy into this, you're going to have a lot of these isolated incidents crop up across America."The women's suffrage movement may point the way to change, says Robin DiAngelo. White people will ultimately have to stop the spread of these 911 calls because only they have the institutional power to halt the emotions that fuel the behavior, says DiAngelo. She gives an example from 1920 to show how this could work. "When women were granted the right to vote, there was only one way for us to possibly get it -- and that is for men to give it to us," DiAngelo says. "I could be mean to a man in a one-on-one interaction, but my group could not deny every single member of his group access to their civil rights. But men could deny every single member of my group access to civil rights. It was on men to change it because they could." That kind of change may start within. That's what happened to Billings, author of "Deep Denial." He says he "packed my suitcase full of contradictions" and left his hometown for another world: college and seminary. He became an ordained minister, got active in the civil rights movement and now leads anti-racism workshops across America. This is why everyday racial profiling is so dangerous He says he changed because he sought out the "messengers." One was an aunt who became a missionary and civil rights activist. Another was a high school English teacher who taught him to think broader than his hometown. They all introduced him to a world "I didn't even know existed," he says. "Most of us have somebody who moves us in a certain direction and opens our world view," Billings says. "There are always messengers where you live. We have to seek them out." Yet there are others like Dobson who have to live in the world they know. This is the world where any banal activity in public -- selling water, playing golf, napping -- can literally end up with someone facing the barrel of a police officer's gun. Dobson knows that #EatingSubwayWhileBlack could have easily become #DyingWhileBlack.A white woman sees a black man inspecting a house and calls the cops. But there's a twist to this incident "I thank God that the police officer who came -- what if he had been another type of officer?" Dobson says. "We see how that goes wrong in the news. And these are my sweet innocent children, just eating a sandwich. What if that would have happened?" Many nonwhites have lived with Dobson's question through much of this nation's history. They couldn't "wander" or "saunter" through public spaces. They were constantly reacting to the whims and fears of some white person. While the recent rash of 911 calls on black people may be new, some say the underlying motivation behind them is as old as "for whites only" signs. As long as jittery white people continue to call the police on black girls selling water on a hot day, or black men wearing socks in a pool, they are unwittingly sending the same message their ancestors did when they forced black people to step off the curb: "I own this country. I own this space. Don't get uppity with me."

Story by John Blake, CNN Video by Tawanda Scott Sambou, CNN

2018-03-02 13:34:01

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/02/us/racial-fluidity/index.html

Are you racially fluid? - CNN

People are starting to see race like gender -- as a choice. Here's why more people are picking their own race, and why that might make racism worse.

us, Are you racially fluid? - CNN

The blurring of racial lines won't save America. Why 'racial fluidity' is a con

(CNN)He was a snappy dresser with slicked back hair and a pencil mustache. A crack bandleader, musician and legendary talent scout, he was dubbed the "Godfather of R&B."But Johnny Otis' greatest performance was an audacious act of defiance he orchestrated offstage.Most people who saw Otis perform during his heyday in the 1950s thought he was a light-skinned black man. He used "we" when talking about black people, married his black high school sweetheart and stayed in substandard "for colored only" hotels with his black bandmates when they toured the South. This could be awkwardThis is part of an ongoing series by CNN's John Blake and Tawanda Scott Sambou on race, religion and politics. Johnny Otis, though, wasn't his real name. He was born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes to Greek immigrants in Northern California. He grew up in a black neighborhood where he developed such a kinship with black culture that he walked away from his whiteness and became black by choice. "As a kid I decided that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would be black," he wrote in his 1968 book, "Listen to the Lambs." Read More"No number of objections such as 'You were born white ... you can never be black' on the part of the whites, or 'You sure are a fool to be colored when you could be white' from Negroes, can alter the fact that I cannot think of myself as white. "I do not expect everybody to understand it, but it is a fact. I am black environmentally, psychologically, culturally, emotionally, and intellectually." Johnny Otis with his band. Otis was born white but chose to be black. Otis wouldn't be such a mystery today. He was a pioneer in what people now call "racial fluidity." It's the belief that race, like gender, is a choice, not a biological identity you're assigned at birth. Racially fluid people reject the box they're put in and craft their own identity.If picking one's race seems impossible, consider this example: former President Barack Obama. The nation's first black president doesn't fit the conventional definition of black. His father was from Kenya, in east Africa, and his mother was white. At one point, some in the black community said Obama wasn't really black since he wasn't a descendent of slaves from West Africa. Not anymore. Obama said he chose his African-American identity, in part, because of how he's perceived and because "black was cool." Rachel Dolezal, the former NAACP official who was born white but now identifies as black, is another example of someone who chose her own racial identity. Her decision continues to be controversial; word of a Netflix documentary on Dolezal is generating backlash on social media. "Oh hell no!" tweeted New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow. "When PERFORMING blackness gets more attention than actually BEING BLACK" Racial fluidity, though, isn't confined to people in the headlines. The US is entering an era of mass "racial migration" some scholars say: Scores of Americans are leaving old racial categories behind for new ones. "For a broadening circle of people, ancestry no longer determines identity," Rogers Brubacker writes in his book "Trans," which explores the parallels between gender identity and racial identity. You may be racially fluid and not even know it.Have you taken a DNA ancestry test that's caused you to alter your racial identity? Are you a biracial or multiracial person who routinely changes your identity depending on your circumstances? Were your ancestors, say, Latino or Asian immigrants, but you now identify as white? Or maybe the outside world has categorized you as "white," but that's not how you define yourself. Then you might be racially fluid.Are they members of the same race? Carlos A. Hoyt Jr., with his son Evan, writes about transcending race; he says it's a "pollutant" that must be discarded. This racial migration is supposed to be good news for many people. The more we blur racial lines, some have argued, the more racism will lose its sting. How, for example, could a white man remain hostile to Latino immigrants after he learns his first grandchild is Latino? Combine racial fluidity with another trend -- the US is projected to become a majority-minority country by 2044 -- and many envision a Brown New World where there will be such a bewildering gumbo in the nation's melting pot that a racist would get exhausted trying to hate people who look different. It's a tantalizing vision of America's future, but what if it's not just a mirage, but a giant con?What if racial fluidity leads not to less racism, but to more?That's the warning being issued by many who study racial fluidity -- including some who are racially fluid themselves. They say people are naïve if they believe expanding the menu of racial choices will lead to more tolerance; that racism is deeper and more adaptable than people realize.A brown-skinned man with a white mother can gush all he wants about his DNA mix, but that won't stop him from being racially profiled, says Rainier Spencer, a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has written extensively about mixed-race identity, including his own. "If I stand on a corner holding a sign saying, 'I'm racially fluid,'" says Spencer, "that still doesn't mean I'm going to get a cab." Can interracial love save America?I am one of those naïve people Spencer talks about.I am racially fluid. I am the son of a black man and a white Irish woman. Biracial or multiracial people like myself have challenged America's "either/or" approach to race long before someone coined the term racial fluidity.I define myself as black. But sometimes I say I'm biracial when describing my family. When asked about my race on forms, I check different boxes depending on my mood. Race has been an inescapable subject for me since I was a kid. It permeated the world I grew up in. I'm from a West Baltimore neighborhood that's become a symbol of America's racial divisions. Race riots erupted there in 2015 after Freddie Gray, a black man, died after police arrested him. The HBO series "The Wire" was set on my street corner. Growing up black in that place could be difficult. Being biracial was even more complicated.It was a life of racial whiplash. Prince Harry's fiance, Meghan Markle, has become a symbol of the changing racial landscape in the US.I experienced racism from my mother's family. They rejected me and my younger brother at birth for being black. I didn't meet any of them until I was in college. And they disowned my mother for being with a black man. When my father first tried to date my mother by visiting her home, her father answered the door and called the police, telling them, "I don't want this nigger trying to see my daughter." I also experienced prejudice from blacks. I got into so many fights as a kid for having a white mother that I grew ashamed of her. I told my elementary school teachers that my mother was black. I dreaded the thought of walking with her in public. I just wanted to blend in.I, too, yearn for a world where race doesn't matter. I grew up in an era where racial blurring wasn't cool. Biracial kids were called "mixed-nuts." People said we were too confused to form a stable sense of self. It was an updated version of the "tragic mulatto" myth -- pitiful figures trapped forever in racial limbo.But then I started hearing people talk about America's changing racial landscape. Obama was elected. And the tragic mulatto morphed into another stereotype -- the magic mulatto. Biracial people like Obama became symbols of a post-racial America, people who would serve as "living bridges between races" as the country moved toward a new era. That hope still lingers. In a recent New York Times essay marking 50 years since interracial marriage bans were overturned, Sheryll Cashin said people who pursue interracial relationships "are our greatest hope for racial understanding." Cashin, a Georgetown law professor, says such relationships chip away at white supremacy because they encourage white Americans to empathize with other races."Eventually, a critical mass of white people will accept the loss of the centrality of whiteness," writes Cashin, author of "Loving: Interracial Intimacy in America and the Threat to White Supremacy." "When enough whites can accept being one voice among many in a robust democracy, politics in America could finally become functional." Is such a world inevitable? I'm not so sure.That's the thing about identities. When you say what you are, you're also saying what you aren't.H. Bernard Hall, college professor and consultant to multiracial families As I delved into the world of racial fluidity, I realized that treating race as a choice invites dangers people rarely consider.Start with DNA testing. The surging popularity of genetic testing kits has literally placed the concept of racial fluidity into millions of American homes. The home genetic testing market in the US generated $117 million in sales in 2017 and is expected to grow to $611 million by 2026. Companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com market their kits as tools for transcending racial categories, a way of "looking beyond differences, seeing commonalities."But these tests can actually reopen racial wounds.That's what I discovered when I heard of the odd story of H. Bernard Hall. What the DNA kits don't tell youHall is tall, lanky and wears dreadlocks. He's a member of the revered black fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi; loves hip-hop; and says when he first read "The Souls of Black Folk" by W.E.B. Du Bois in college, "I thought he was telling my story."Hall's DNA ancestry test, however, told him another story, one he wasn't prepared to hear.Hall has a white mother and a black father, but he wanted to get more in touch with his black identity. He decided to participate in a DNA ancestry project at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, where he is an assistant professor of English education. "I really wanted to get a clearer sense of my Africanness," he says. "I wanted to know my connections to the African continent."Instead, the test virtually annihilated his identity. He was so stunned when he got the results that his reaction was recorded in a New York Times article that spotlighted the DNA project.H. Bernard Hall and his wife are multiracial. They are raising their sons, Braden and Noah, as black. "What are you trying to do to me?" Hall said. "You have caused a lot of problems in my family."Hall thought the test would show he was half African, half European. Instead it read: 91% European, 5% Middle Eastern, 2% Hispanic, and less than 1% African and Asian. "It makes you rethink everything," he told me later. "I was always looking for belonging and affirmation, and I thought finally science was going to affirm what I wanted to know. I thought I had a chance to fill in some of those gaps. It just opened more questions.''One of Hall's questions: What would happen if he shifted his racial identity? He had always defined himself as black. It's why he and his wife, who is also multiracial, insist on calling their two young sons black, not biracial."Even if I'm just 1% African, my momma used to tell me, 'If the cops stop you, they're not going to ask if your momma is from Ireland,' " he says. "Even though I know that race is a social construction, it is as real as oxygen."Many people treat taking a DNA ancestry test as an adventure. Some post live videos on YouTube and Facebook announcing the results. Others send invitations to meet with "DNA relatives" who share the same ancestors. It all sounds like so much fun that some call this trend "recreational genomics."But there's another side to DNA testing they don't talk about in brochures: It can be traumatic. One black woman who live-streamed her DNA results was shocked to learn she was 26% British. She was confused until she realized why: If some white man had not raped a slave, she wouldn't exist. Hall's DNA test evoked another ugly memory from slavery, when lighter "house Negroes" were pitted against darker "field Negroes," he says. Some multiracial people today still buy into that thinking, that the lighter their skin the better, he says.Hall saw his DNA results as a potential trap -- an excuse to renounce his solidarity with black people and back it up with science. He wouldn't be the first one to do so. There is a history of racially ambiguous people of color "passing" for white to avoid discrimination."That's the thing about identities," he says. "When you say what you are, you're also saying what you aren't." How racial fluidity can be used as a weapon Saying what race you aren't can have immense political implications.Consider the act of "checking the boxes," or selecting your race on forms. Multiracial people like Hall could opt out of checking the "black box." But doing so could make it easier for institutions to conceal racism, some civil rights leaders say. Those check marks are used to enforce voting rights and civil rights laws. They're used to redraw congressional districts. They are especially important for uncovering covert forms of discrimination in areas such as housing and employment. Hall, for example, is concerned about police brutality against men of color. After the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Hall posted videos on YouTube talking about the police shooting and his own experiences with law enforcement. Former NAACP official Rachel Dolezal was born white, but she now identifies as black.If more multiracial people like him picked "white" on forms, though, it could make it more difficult to monitor racist police practices. The U.S. Justice Department relied on racial classification statistics in its 2015 report that detailed how the city government in Ferguson, Missouri, systematically violated the constitutional rights of its black residents by treating them more as sources of revenue than citizens to serve and protect.The following year, a federal appeals court struck down a North Carolina voting rights law it said used racial classification statistics to target blacks with "almost surgical precision." Recent court battles over Native American voting rights also have hinged on racial classification numbers.This reliance on racial categories to track discrimination is why civil rights groups fought so fiercely to oppose the creation of a "multiracial" category in the 2000 Census. Some saw it as a back-door maneuver to diminish the political power of racial minorities such as blacks, Asians and Native Americans. (The 2010 US Census offered a "some other race" category, which met with less resistance.) Spencer, the UNLV scholar, echoes Hall's argument. He is biracial but checks "black" on forms because he says it makes it easier to fight racism. "If more people say 'I'm fluid' and decide not to check the boxes, then we've lost our ability to track discrimination," says Spencer, author of "Reproducing Race: The Paradox of Generation Mix." Hall sees an even deeper danger to expanding the menu of racial options: its use as a weapon against others. If more people can opt out of identifying as black, he says, it would reinforce a racial hierarchy that places whiter-looking people at the top and darker-skinned people at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder."The diversification of our population is not going to remove the white supremacy that permeates so many aspects of our life and society," he says.Former President Barack Obama as a child, right, with his mother Ann Dunham, stepfather Lolo Soetoro and younger half-sister, Maya Soetoro during their time in Indonesia.You don't hear any talk about racial hierarchies when you look at those chipper advertisements for 23andMe or Ancestry.com. It almost seems rude to raise these issues when people are rhapsodizing about how science will show us that we're all one human family. If this hierarchy sounds abstract to you, it's not to me. It caused pain in my family.I first heard about it in a song.How the Chinese stopped being blackIf you're white, it's all rightIf you're brown, stick aroundBut if you're black, Get back, get back, get back.That's the abbreviated version of a song I heard growing up. It's called "Black, Brown and White," and it was written by a black blues singer in the 1940s. I heard people tease one another with the lyrics. But the theme of the song wasn't so amusing to me. I saw it reflected in a painful incident that one of my older brothers still remembers years later.I have two older half-brothers who aren't biracial. They share my father's dark complexion and kinky hair. One day, when I was a child, my father took me on a walk with one of them. When some strangers approached us and regarded me with curiosity, my father beamed. He introduced me as his son. He said nothing about my older brother; he was invisible. The first time I discovered I was whiteI love my father, but it's an open secret in my family that he's color struck -- drawn to whiteness. He's even admitted as much to me. Throughout his 91 years, he's gravitated to either white or Anglo-looking Latina women. Even the mother of my older brothers could have passed for white. Perhaps some of it is the allure of the forbidden. He was born during the Great Depression and grew up in an era when a black man could get killed for "reckless eyeballing," or looking the wrong way at a white woman. Yet he's not the only one who is color struck. So are some people who romanticize a world of unlimited racial choices. Here's an ugly historical truth about racial fluidity: It tends to flow in one direction -- toward whiteness. In books like "How The Irish Became White" and "Working Toward Whiteness," some scholars have argued that whiteness has expanded to include racial groups that weren't considered fully white at first. A growing number of children of many Asian and Latino immigrants now identify as white. Some scholars even argue the US will remain a majority white country much longer than people think as more children of minorities identity as white. Some groups pay for their passage toward whiteness by becoming racist themselves, some scholars say. In their book, "Creating a New Racial Order," Harvard professor Jennifer Hochschild and her co-authors tell the story of a group of Chinese sharecroppers who settled in the Mississippi Delta after the Civil War and became merchants to the black community. The Chinese successfully changed their legal and social status from "colored" or "like blacks" to "almost whites" by shunning their black neighbors, the authors said. "They moved to new towns, became small entrepreneurs, broke ties with Chinese who had married ex-slaves, and rejected the children of such marriages," the authors wrote. As to why so many racial groups run toward whiteness, they offer a succinct explanation: "White Americans still hold a disproportionate share of political and economic resources, and they are still the quintessential insiders." If anyone claims that expanding America's menu of racial choices is going to make race relations better, here is my first question:What if it makes this racial hierarchy worse? That's what two California sociologists wondered after discovering something disturbing buried in a banal government study. But they were beaten to the punch 30 years earlier by the heavyweight champion of the world. What boxing can teach us about racial fluidityHave you ever heard something you don't understand, but it lingers because, on some level, it rings true? I had that experience when I heard Larry Holmes deliver a cryptic comment on race and class that took me decades to understand.He was being interviewed by a white reporter when he said:"It's hard being black. You ever been black? I was black once -- when I was poor."Michael Spinks blocks a punch from Larry Holmes, right, in 1985. Holmes' comments on race would make a connection. I thought about Holmes' words when I heard about the strange statistical quirk the Californians stumbled upon. Their discovery began with a mystery.The US Bureau of Labor Statistics launched a decades-long survey in 1979 to gather information on a sample of 12,686 young men and women. In face-to-face interviews, researchers asked them about education, work, and whether they got sidetracked by prison, divorce or unemployment. At the end of each interview, researchers selected the race of the participants. That's when the sociologists, Aliya Saperstein and Andrew M. Penner, saw something strange.As they reviewed the results of the 19-year study, they noticed that the race of about 20% of the participants changed over time. An interviewer would classify a participant white one year, and then several years later classify him as black.Sometimes the change was temporary -- a person would regain her original race after several years -- while other racial reassignments lasted into adulthood. This pattern persisted even when the interviews moved from face-to-face to phone conversations in the survey's final years. This was racial fluidity on warp drive.What could cause this change in perception?The sociologists found a pattern. When the social status of an interviewee decreased through an event like losing a job or getting locked up, the researcher was more likely to classify him or her as black. When their status increased by getting a job or a college degree, the interviewer was more likely to classify them as white.That pattern suggested another troubling side of racial fluidity, one not often talked about: While people may be able to move more freely among different racial categories, the stereotypes stay the same. This is what Saperstein and Penner suggested in their findings in the American Journal of Sociology. The more fluid race is at the individual level, the more entrenched racial inequality will be at the societal level.Sociologists Aliya Saperstein and Andrew M. PennerThe pattern in the Labor Department study, they said, showed that having more racial fluidity doesn't automatically mean race becomes less relevant. It can actually reinforce existing racial stereotypes because race isn't just an individual's choice -- it's tied to each person's social status.Like Larry Holmes, who said no one doubted his blackness when he was poor, some of the participants in the Labor Department study suddenly became black when they lost a job or got busted for drugs. There were plenty of people hopscotching across different racial categories in the study, but the meaning of those categories didn't change: White was still "all right," and black still meant "get back." "Even when people can choose their own race or can move across racial boundaries, that doesn't mean that race stops mattering," says Penner, a sociologist at the University of California, Irvine. "The hierarchy can maintain itself by reclassifying people but keep the stereotypes in place."If the link between race and status remains, Penner and Saperstein can imagine a future in the US where the pattern in the survey is replicated on a grand scale: More people are allowed to move across the color lines, but "such changes may only further cement racial stereotypes for those left behind." "The more fluid race is at the individual level, the more entrenched racial inequality will be at the societal level," they wrote in their paper, "Racial Fluidity and Inequality in the United States."If you think it's impossible to change someone's race just because of a change in his social status, Saperstein, a sociologist at Stanford University in California, has one name for you: O.J. Simpson.Simpson was a Hollywood star and pitchman who was seen by many as someone who had transcended being black. Sometimes this transformation was literal. In the documentary, "O.J. Made in America," a journalist tells a story about overhearing a white woman at a restaurant say, "Look, there's O.J. sitting with all those niggers." A Hertz executive in the documentary said the company decided to use the former NFL running back as a pitchman because "O.J. was colorless." Simpson was living proof of the adage: "money whitens." Then Simpson was arrested for the murder of his ex-wife and another man. He stopped being colorless; crime darkens. The shift was made graphic in one telling moment in 1994, when Time magazine editors placed a mug shot of Simpson on their cover that had been deliberately darkened. "It was a metaphor," Saperstein said, "for how far he had fallen." The Latin-Americanization of race in the USIf you want to see how more racial fluidity could reinforce racism, you don't have to look at Simpson or a study, Penner says. Look at some Latin American countries.In countries like Brazil and Cuba, mixed-race marriages and people are common. Latin Americans tend to think of themselves not in terms of race but nationality. Racism is often seen as a US problem. But whiteness is still dominant.Brazil's census offers more than 100 color catetories, and more than 40% identify as mixed."Racial minorities in Latin American countries tend to be worse off ... than racial minorities in Western nations," leading US sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva wrote in his book, "Racism without Racists." Discrimination against darker-skinned and indigenous people is not uncommon throughout Latin America, scholars say.Bonilla-Silva has long warned about the "Latin-Americanization of race" in the United States. He envisions a future of expanded racial identities where people claiming the US has moved beyond race will "drown out" the voices of those darker-skinned people still fighting for racial equality. "The apparent blessing of 'not seeing race' will become a curse for those struggling for racial justice in years to come," says Bonilla-Silva, who is president of the American Sociological Association. That kind of future could look like what's happening in Brazil, according to a 2017 Foreign Policy article. It details the wide array of racial choices available to Brazilians: The country's census department offers 136 color categories, and 43% identify as mixed."Today, Brazilians see themselves as falling across a spectrum of skin colors with a dizzying assortment of names: burnt white, brown, dark nut, light nut, black, and copper," the author, Cleuci De Oliveira, writes. "What ultimately binds these definitions together is an awareness that the less 'black' a person looks, the better."The same habits that long prevented some Latin American countries from confronting their racism could have the same effect in a racially fluid United States, Penner warns."You're changing individuals' racial identity instead of changing the racial hierarchy," he says. "The lesson of Latin America is even if we don't have these categories, there still is this hierarchy."Do you still believe the Earth is flat?If racism is so tenacious and adaptable, what can be done?I've been exploring that question for years. I've had more success answering it in my personal life by anchoring my sense of self in another type of identity: faith.One of my best memories is from college, after I joined an interracial church. A group of youths invited me to a room, ostensibly for a meeting. When I walked in, they surprised me by forming a circle around me and welcoming me with a hearty song. As I looked at the different hues of these smiling people, some of whom would become my closest friends, I overcame some of the suspicion I felt toward white people -- and found a new way to define myself. I also reconciled with my mother's family through meetings and letters. Reading about my mother's Irish heritage helped me bridge the difference. When I learned about Irish immigrants' history of suffering and dealing with racial stereotypes, I realized they had more in common with my father's family than I'd known. Fortunately, I never had to reconcile with my mother. She never cared what color I was. She just loved me the best she could.And yet I know, despite my personal history, race is as "real as oxygen."The rise of DNA ancestry tests has led more people to reconsider racial categories.I've been called a "nigger" and a "biracial ape." I've been racially profiled. I was once pulled off a plane and searched in front of a crowd by muscle-bound security officers. They said I had tripped an alarm. I never heard any alarm. I think I just fit the description.How will the emergence of a Brown New World handle such encounters? It can't unless we change how we talk about race, some say. Forget about being post-racial: working for a future where race no longer matters. Be non-racial: work for a world where race doesn't exist. We have to abandon categorizing people by their skin color and other physical features altogether. It's been used far too much to foster hate and exploitation. "We think people assign race based on skin color, hair type and nose type, and certainly they do," says Saperstein, the sociologist. "But racial categories were never just physical descriptors. They were always categories that marked claims to superiority or inferiority, who deserved rights and who didn't. That was why we invented the concept of race."To modern ears, it's hard to believe that "race" is an invention. But the modern framework of race -- a hierarchy with white on top and black on the bottom -- is a relatively recent fabrication. "Black people," for example, weren't invented until around 500 years ago by Europeans to justify slavery and their colonial conquest of much of the world, says Spencer, the UNLV scholar. "Did slavery or race come first? No one knows, but they certainly go together," Spencer says.Of course, people did notice different skin hues in the ancient world. But groups like the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and early Christians didn't exclude or include anyone based on their skin color. They used other criteria to separate themselves, such as culture or language, says Carlos A. Hoyt Jr., author of "The Arc of a Bad Idea: Understanding and Transcending Race." "The ancients did not believe in biological racism," Hoyt says. "The Greeks and Romans did not establish color as an obstacle to integration in their society. They didn't make color as the basis for judging a person."So you say I'm racially ambiguous - you look at me and can't tell if I'm white or black. Maybe that's interesting. But so what? If I don't attack the idea of race in general, I'm not accomplishing anything."Rainier Spencer, author of "Reproducing Race: The Paradox of Generation Mix." Hoyt says people should treat the concept of race as a "pollutant" and a "myth" -- something that has real consequences but is ultimately the product of misguided thinking. "It's a bad idea technically, like the notion that the Earth is flat," he says. "It's technically wrong. It's a mistake."Having more racial fluidity isn't enough, he says. He echoes the sentiment of Audre Lorde, a black poet and activist who said: "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." "We'd do better to push against the whole edifice of race," Hoyt says. "It's not about racial fluidity. It's about leaving the entire racial worldview." That sounds futile for many at a time when virtually every day we're bombarded with news about racial tension. We tiptoe around words, afraid of saying the wrong thing about race in front of others -- especially if they look different from us. Abandoning racial categories almost seems as futile as trying to ignore the law of gravity. Yet Hoyt says there have been plenty of ideas that were once accepted as unassailable that have now been discarded. "At one time, slavery was promoted and accepted by many as natural. At one point treating children like property was OK. At one point homosexuality was considered a disease," Hoyt says. "What's the alternative? Should we roll over? How's the racial worldview been working for us?"Spencer, the UNLV scholar, agrees with Hoyt. Racial fluidity, he says, can't cure America of its original sin of racism. It can easily, though, degenerate into "a form of self-interested celebration that ends up reinforcing those racial hierarchies." "So you say I'm racially ambiguous -- you look at me and can't tell if I'm white or black. Maybe that's interesting," he says. "But so what? If I don't attack the idea of race in general, I'm not accomplishing anything." Young people may be the ones to lead that attack. Europeans invented the concept of race to justify slavery and colonization, says one scholar. Here, colonists are seen in Sierra Leone.That's the hope I hear from people who say their kids just aren't hung up on race. They grew up seeing a black man in the White House. The authors of "Creating a New Racial Order" are optimistic. They say young people are less driven by racial stereotypes, consider interracial relationships normal and are "the preeminent transformative force" that could create a more just racial order. One of those people who gives me hope is Isabelle Yeung. At 20, she is part of a mixed-race studies group on Facebook. Her mother is white, and her father is a Chinese native of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. She says she is a "bit brown" and different looking, so when people ask her "what are you," she tells them "it's complicated.""My personal answer of what race I am is, 'None of these things,' '' she says. "If society hasn't got a box to put me in, I'm not going to go and make one. I'm just a person and don't identify with any race in particular. "I'm a human. Shouldn't that be enough definition for all of us?" It should be, and maybe one day it will. But then my optimism fades just a bit when I think about some other young people. I see the snarling faces of the young white men who carried torchlights while marching in Charlottesville last year. I see the Nazi and Confederate flags they flew. I'm not so sure they're ready to be non-racial.And then I think of something the author Naomi Klein said in her recent book "No Is Not Enough," which examined the 2016 presidential election."Never, ever underestimate the power of hate, of direct appeals to power over the 'other,' '' she wrote.No number of objections such as 'You were born white... you can never be black' on the part of the whites, or 'You sure are a fool to be colored when you could be white' from Negroes, can alter the fact that I cannot think of myself as white.Bandleader Johnny Otis At least Johnny Otis lived long enough to see another side of America. The bandleader was elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. One writer riffing on the "indomitable blackness" of Otis talked about how he was placed on the cover of a Negro Achievements magazine in the 1950s and became a political activist in the black community.Otis lived long enough to see another racially fluid pioneer get elected to the White House. He died in 2012 at age 90 after being married to Phyllis, his high school sweetheart, for 70 years and raising four children together.He never apologized for crafting his own racial identity. "Yes, I chose," he once told a reporter, "because despite all the hardships, there's a wonderful richness in black culture that I prefer."Maybe we'll have more people like Otis in the future, playing their own tune instead of copying someone else's ideas about race. But if that tune still ends up saying, "if you're white you're alright" and "if you're black get back," all this talk about racial fluidity will be a smokescreen. We'll still be singing the same old song.

Story by John Blake, CNN Video by Tawanda Scott Sambou, CNN

2018-01-08 13:42:12

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/us/trump-affirmative-action-president/index.html

How Trump became 'the white affirmative action president' - CNN

When the Trump administration recently signaled it was going to crack down on affirmative action, some critics responded: Why not start with Trump himself?

us, How Trump became 'the white affirmative action president' - CNN

How Trump became 'the white affirmative action president'

(CNN)When the Trump administration recently signaled that it was going to crack down on affirmative action, some critics responded with an odd request: Why not start with the man sitting in the Oval Office?President Donald Trump embodies the worst stereotypes conservatives have invoked to describe affirmative action beneficiaries, according to several commentators, political scientists and diversity experts. They say he's entitled, unqualified and held to lower standards because of racial grievances. They call Trump the nation's first affirmative action president."He cannot think his way out of a wet paper bag," says Carol Anderson, historian and author of "White Rage," a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. "He's demonstrated a lack of capacity to understand the bare bones of policy. He didn't go through any of the vetting. His taxes were never really fully revealed," says Anderson. ''He had no true medical exam, but folks let that slide. So this myth about affirmative action being about unqualified black and brown folks getting something they don't deserve -- that's Donald Trump."Read MoreThat's not, however, how Trump defenders see him. They say a corrupt political system needs a disrupter-in-chief. Trump may be raw, but at least he's authentic. And it's not white privilege but "Trump privilege" -- the public persona he cultivated before the Oval Office -- that causes people to hold the President to different standards.Which group is right? As Trump's first year in office comes to an end, here are three ways he became an affirmative action president, critics say.Parallel 1: Americans lowered their Oval Office admission standards White supremacy, sexism and Muslim bigotry -- that's the toxic trifecta that put Trump into office, some say.President Trump plays in a fire truck as the media looks on. Critics say Americans have lowered their presidential standards since Trump took office.But others say there's a fourth factor that gave birth to President Trump: hypocrisy.Conservatives have lectured women and people of color for years about the importance of meeting high standards. No "handouts" or "set-asides" allowed. Only the most qualified should get the job. And then millions of these same people voted for a man some critics call the most unqualified president in American history. Trump is the only American president who came into office with no military or political experience. Sometimes, they say, it shows. This fall, Trump incorrectly stated that a stock market rally could reduce the national debt. He once said he admired "Article 12" in the Constitution (there are only seven). He also said that Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, was "really angry" about the Civil War. Jackson died 16 years before the Civil War began."It's a position he's utterly unqualified for," says Anderson, a professor of African-American studies at Emory University in Atlanta. "He doesn't think. He doesn't read. He doesn't connect dots."Nor does he seem to want to, other critics say.It's odd that Trump's Justice Department is going after affirmative action while Trump is putting all of these people in positions of power and influence who are clearly not qualified for their positions.John David Skrentny, author of 'The Ironies of Affirmative Action' Trump lacks intellectual curiosity, they say. A new book, "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," portrays a President who has the attention span of a child and does not like to read. Trump biographer Tim O'Brien once called the President "fundamentally lazy." Trump's secretary of state reportedly said worse: Rex Tillerson didn't directly deny reports he called the President a "moron." (Tillerson's spokeswoman later denied he said it.) Trump responded by challenging Tillerson to an IQ test."Trump has had a lifetime — 71 years -- and access to America's finest educational institutions (he's a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, he never tires of reminding us) to learn things. And yet he doesn't seem to have acquired even the most basic information that a high school student should possess," wrote Max Boot, a senior fellow for the Council on Foreign Relations, in a column in Foreign Policy entitled, "Donald Trump is Proving Too Stupid to Be President."Trump even has an affirmative action administration, some say. Affirmative action critics often say such programs violate the American principle of meritocracy: that people can go as far as their talent and ambition can take them. America is not some feudal society where class and wealth determine advancement, they say.Yet Trump has repeatedly violated the principle of meritocracy by staffing his administration with relatives and others with little expertise in their areas of responsibility, critics say. Jared Kushner, for example, is one of the most powerful people in Trump's administration. Trump appointed him to be his peace negotiator in the Middle East and tasked him with tackling the opioid crisis as well. Kushner's background: He is Trump's son-in-law and a real estate developer from New York. Betsy DeVos, Trump's secretary of education, was a wealthy Republican donor who never attended public school. And Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, had no experience in housing policy or working for the government."It's odd that Trump's Justice Department is going after affirmative action while Trump is putting all of these people in positions of power and influence who are clearly not qualified for their positions," says John David Skrentny, author of "The Ironies of Affirmative Action." "This is not the meritocracy presidency by any stretch."Here's why a president's character matters: President Kennedy's cool temperament helped the United States avoid nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.Trump, though, is not the first president to staff his Cabinet with relatives or people who didn't have experience in the areas of government they would be overseeing. President John F. Kennedy appointed his brother Robert, a lawyer, to be attorney general. He also appointed Robert McNamara to run the Defense Department though his previous experience was as a Ford executive and CEO.Many Americans continue to hold Trump to lower standards as he approaches the end of his first year in office, others say.When the President talks, he often sounds like the guy in class "who doesn't bother to read the book but tries to bluff his way through an oral report," says Mary C. Curtis, who wrote a column in Roll Call entitled, "Donald Trump -- the Affirmative Action President and His Enablers." Yet people continue to cut him slack, she says."Even in the language of his fellow Republicans, they say 'He's just new at this.' That language is so forgiving," Curtis says. "He gets the benefit of the doubt that women and people of color don't."Parallel 2: Racial grievances gave him his positionTrump gets away with so many gaffes in part because he is white, critics say. They describe him as the incarnation of the white backlash against the nation's first black president. No Obama, no Trump.But it's not just because he's white; Trump is judged by a different standard because he embodies a certain type of whiteness, says Mark D. Naison, an activist and history professor who teaches a course on affirmative action at Fordham University in New York.It's not white privilege. It's Trump privilege.Shayne Lee, University of Houston sociologist, on how Trump gets away with certain types of behaviorTrump is white in a way that previous presidents like the more patrician George H.W. Bush and his jocular son George W. Bush could never be, Naison says. He's white America's id unleashed."Donald Trump is vulgar, overweight, he's not politically correct," says Naison. "So there's this whole swath of white America who says we finally see one of us up there." It's a swath that's also bubbling with racial grievances. As America grows browner, many whites now see themselves as a racially oppressed group. About 60% of white Americans and roughly two-thirds of white working-class Americans say discrimination against whites is now as big a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities, according to a 2016 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute. These are some of the same people who say white Christians are the most persecuted religious group in America and that while "white privilege" is bogus, "black privilege" is real. Racial grievances spawned affirmative action. After the race riots of the mid-1960s, political leaders created affirmative action programs to address rising black anger and compensate for historical injustice, Naison says.And racial grievances have now given America Trump, he says. Trump isn't just the leader of the United States. He is the "president of white rage," one historian says.Some white Americans are now so embittered that they feel like they need their own form of racial compensation, he says. Trump is their symbol of racial progress, someone who channels their anger."The guy they chose," Naison says, "shows the level of anger among some whites. He's as angry as they are. He's the white affirmative action president. It's like they're saying we waited for somebody who looks and talks just like us."I don't see him as a projection of white supremacy," Naison says. "He's the president of white rage."And rage is resilient. Six in 10 people who approve of Trump's job as President say they can't think of anything he could do that would make them disapprove of him, according to one recent survey from Monmouth University. "It's a psychic reward that some white people get if white people are in control of everything," Naison says. "Even if they're getting f---ed. People are deeply invested in him succeeding, even if he's failing."Trump's presidency could have an unexpected side effect: It could refute the notion that white men are better suited to be leaders, says Anderson, author of "White Rage." "There's an automatic assumption of qualified when it's attached to whiteness," Anderson says. "That standard of white as being the norm of excellence is one of the things that you're beginning to see questioned in some of the most vigorous ways because of the blatant inadequacy of Donald Trump."Parallel 3: He embodies the 'soft bigotry of low expectations' They called it being "presidential." A person was supposed to bring a certain decorum and restraint to the Oval Office. Any man who didn't behave in a presidential way paid a price. In 1972, Edmund Muskie was the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination when he did something shocking. He was accused of crying during a campaign stop while defending his wife from a personal attack. His campaign collapsed. Four years later, former President Jimmy Carter almost lost his White House bid when he admitted in a Playboy interview that he lusted in his heart after other women. Former President Barack Obama was accused of disrespecting the presidency when he was photographed putting his feet on the Oval Office desk and saluting a Marine while holding a cup of coffee.See anything outrageous here? President Obama was accused of disrespecting the presidency for putting his feet on the Oval Office desk.Think of how Americans expected their president to behave in the past, and how they expect Trump to act. Trump critics say there's a big difference.The New York Times editorial board recently detailed those differences, in "The Republican's Guide to Presidential Etiquette," showing how Trump had created a "whole new bar for tolerable conduct" among presidents during his first 10 months. In it, they noted, he has:Mocked a foreign leader, called him an insulting nickname and threatened on Twitter to destroy his country; attacked a senator battling terminal cancer; and complained that some Puerto Ricans -- US citizens who had lost access to fuel, water and medical supplies in Hurricane Maria -- "want everything to be done for them." Trump was also recently criticized for a tweet in which he said that Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was "begging" him for campaign donations and "would do anything for them." USA Today responded by saying that Trump was "not fit to clean the toilets" in Obama's presidential library because he implied that "a United States senator would trade sexual favors for campaign cash." Curtis, the Roll Call columnist, was particularly offended by Trump's comments about Puerto Ricans."It recalled the language that's been used before against people of color, for instance, when black people were toiling in the field all day without compensation and being called lazy and shiftless by people on the porch drinking mint juleps," she says.And then there's Trump's relationship with the truth. It's complicated.Americans have traditionally demanded honesty from a president. According to legend, George Washington was lauded for saying he could not tell a lie.When the nation's first president, George Washington, was asked as a boy if he had chopped into his father's cherry tree, legend has it he said, "I cannot tell a lie." Trump has a different attitude toward truth, according to the fact-checking web site PolitiFact. It recently rated 69% of Trump statements as "mostly false," "false" or "pants on fire" lies.Obama is one of Trump's favorite targets. He's told falsehoods about everything from Obama's birthplace to saying Obama didn't write his own memoir and even accused Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower. According to the Washington Post's Fact Checker column, Trump makes an average of five "false or misleading" claims a day.Americans expect so little from Trump that he's described as acting "presidential" when performing the most mundane tasks, says Anderson, author of "White Rage.""He's now becoming 'presidential' simply because he read a speech off a teleprompter without a gaffe," she says.He can't be controlled. The way he says things might appeal to people who do hold racist opinions, but they also appeal to people who don't agree with what he says but like the fact that he says what he thinks.Jennifer Mercieca, associate professor of speech at Texas A&M Affirmative action critics have a catchphrase for that kind of dynamic. It's called the "soft bigotry of low expectations." It was a term coined by a conservative speechwriter and first uttered by President George W. Bush. It means not expecting students of color to perform and not holding them accountable. You actually harm them not through overt racism but by not holding them to the same expectations as others.If someone tries to challenge Trump's behavior, his supporters will often respond with accusations of being elitist, some say."He's created this immunity for himself," says Jennifer Mercieca, an associate professor of speech at Texas A&M who is writing a book on Trump's rhetoric. "If you try to criticize him, you're just part of the corrupt establishment or you're just trying to prevent him from heroically saving people from corruption."What critics don't get about Trump or his supportersHis supporters, though, scoff at the notion of Trump as an affirmative action president. Critics didn't get Trump when he was running for President and they still don't get him today, his supporters say. No one becomes a multimillionaire businessman and the President of the United States without having exceptional skills and drive, they say. "I'm not saying the man is not talented. He may be a bully, but he built an empire in business and did far greater than his wealthy father did," says Naison. "Anybody who could run a global business of the magnitude that he did is capable of administering a complex governmental entity."Besides, Trump can speak to people in a way other scripted politicians cannot.Was Barack Obama a black racial token -- someone who was put in the Oval Office despite his inexperience?Matt Margolis, author of 'The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama'Mercieca, who is a critic of Trump, studied his campaign speeches and concluded he is a "deceptively brilliant" communicator."He's not afraid to alienate people who say you have to say things in a certain way," she says. "He can't be controlled. The way he says things might appeal to people who do hold racist opinions, but they also appeal to people who don't agree with what he says but like the fact that he says what he thinks."Shayne Lee, a sociologist at the University of Houston, has another explanation for why Trump can get away with not acting in a traditionally presidential way. It's not because he's white, or the "soft bigotry of low expectations," he says. It's because he's Trump."He has always enjoyed a level of freedom that others haven't," says Lee, who doesn't count himself as a Trump supporter. "He never worked for corporate America. He never had to conform his norms to the established system. He was always a rule breaker. His whole brand was built on being outrageous."It's not white privilege. It's Trump privilege." Pundits continue to underestimate Trump's ability and his hold on his core supporters, some say.Trump defenders also say Obama, not Trump, was the first affirmative action president. He was a prime example of someone who was elected just because of his race. Obama was a former community organizer and state lawmaker in the midst of his first term in the US Senate when he ran for the Oval Office."Was Barack Obama a black racial token -- someone who was put in the Oval Office despite his inexperience?" asks Matt Margolis, author of "The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama." "Why didn't the media ask whether Americans 'lowered their standards' just to put Obama in office?"The constant criticism of Trump only emboldens his supporters and ensures his re-election, Margolis says."Let's stop trying to make everything about race when it's not," he says. "After all, Trump did better with African-Americans and Hispanics than Romney did in 2012."And then there's the question of presidential qualifications and experience. It's not as simple as you might think.There's this assumption that Americans typically elect the most qualified person to be president, but that's actually a myth, according to Jake Novak, a CNBC columnist. He says "qualifications have become cheap in a political atmosphere where most voters distrust politicians inherently." Novak says American voters have picked "less traditionally qualified" candidates in the last four presidential elections. President Bill Clinton, for example, was a governor of a small Southern state with no foreign policy experience. Yet in 1992 he beat George H. W. Bush, an incumbent president and World War II hero who had just defeated Saddam Hussein in the first Gulf War."Records and resumes don't really matter," Novak says. "Humans are emotional beings, and the candidate who connects with our emotions the best will win, period." Presidential historian Robert Strauss says history also shows that a president's resume is overrated. He gets the benefit of the doubt that women and people of color don't. Mary C. Curtis, in a Roll Call column on TrumpHe says Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt were considered political lightweights before they entered the Oval Office. They'd lost big elections and didn't have broad experience. Yet they became two of the greatest American presidents.Then there is one of the nation's worst presidents, James Buchanan. Strauss wrote the book on him: "Worst. President. Ever: James Buchanan, The POTUS Rating Game, And The Legacy Of The Least Of The Lesser Presidents."Buchanan had the best resume of anyone who has run for president. He served in both houses of Congress, was a former secretary of state, and was ambassador to Great Britain and Russia, Strauss says. But during his presidency he helped cause the worst economic depression in 19th century America, helped engineer the most "obscene" Supreme Court ruling -- the Dred Scott decision of 1857 -- and did nothing to stop the nation's slide into its worst internal conflict, the Civil War."He was an awful president," Strauss says of Buchanan. "So I don't know what prepares you for the presidency. I can't tell you that there is a qualification." The ultimate test aheadCharacter, though, may be one vital qualification if you listen to historians.Pivotal events in US history are often shaped by the character of the president, some of them say. Part of Lincoln's greatness was his magnanimous nature -- "with malice toward none, with charity for all." It helped him corral the "team of rivals" in his Cabinet and reconcile the nation after its bloodiest American war, they say.The Cuban Missile Crisis might have also turned out differently if President Kennedy, a student of history and a former war hero, didn't have the confidence to reject his military leaders' request to invade Cuba.Donald Trump is vulgar, overweight, he's not politically correct. So there's this whole swath of white America who says we finally see one of us up there.Mark D. Naison, Fordham University professor and activistIf an unqualified person in an affirmative action program gets a spot he doesn't deserve, some deserving applicant may lose out on a job opportunity or not be able to attend her desired college. But if an unfit person sits in the Oval Office, humanity's survival could literally be at stake. Perhaps that is why Trump got so much attention at a recent White House event where he appeared to allude to an imminent war. During a photo session for a White House dinner with military commanders, Trump delivered a cryptic warning to the press while flanked by military commanders."You know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm," he said.The remark set off a flurry of questions. Was Trump talking about war with Iran? ISIS? A nuclear confrontation with North Korea?"You'll find out," Trump said.Maybe. Hopefully not. Each week seems to bring some new drama from the Oval Office. Is that drama a product of unfair criticism of an unorthodox president? Or is Trump the nation's first affirmative action president, someone who is in way over his head?We have at least three more years left of his presidency. More events that test Trump's character are bound to come.We'll find out.

John Blake, CNN

2018-04-21 13:04:10

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/21/us/beyonce-lamar-unapologetically-black/index.html

What it means to be 'unapologetically black' - CNN

Beyoncé rocked Coachella and Kendrick Lamar grabbed a Pulitzer. But they also gave us a lesson on being "unapologetically black."

us, What it means to be 'unapologetically black' - CNN

Beyoncé and Lamar show what it means to be 'unapologetically black'

(CNN)Tonja Renée Stidhum was working at a law office one day when she found herself facing an agonizing choice.A container of hot, crispy Popeyes chicken stood untouched in front of her. Around her were cubicles and hallways filled with white office workers. Stidhum had just purchased the chicken and was about to dig in when a question popped into her head: What will all of these white folks think when they see this black woman chomping away merrily on a fried chicken leg in a classy corporate establishment?Stidhum was so vexed that she quickly called a friend for moral guidance. They both decided she couldn't allow her desire to appease white people to shape her actions. She had to be what Stidhum calls "unapologetically black." Stidhum started chomping away. "There's this sense that we have to placate what white America believes is an appropriate way to be black," says Stidhum, a writer and director who wrote about her Popeyes-induced panic in a playful essay on transcending racial stereotypes. "But it's not white America's right to dictate to us what is appropriate blackness." Read MoreKendrick Lamar is a Pulitzer Prize winnerI thought about Stidhum's epiphany when I considered the remarkable highs and lows America recently experienced concerning race.Last weekend, Beyoncé "obliterated" a rapt, mostly white audience at Coachella when she became the first black woman to headline the musical festival. On Monday, the black rapper Kendrick Lamar became the first hip-hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for his album "DAMN." Around the same time came a discordant note: news that two black men had been arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks for what many describe as "waiting while black." On the surface, these moments may not seem connected. But after talking to a chorus of black poets, writers and activists, I began to wonder if all three incidents are actually glimmers of a new mood filtering into the black community. As many try to find their footing in the Trump era after eight years of seeing President Barack Obama in the White House, some have decided they aren't going to worry so much about what white people think. They are not going to apologize for their blackness -- whether it's on the Coachella stage, before the Pulitzer committee or even in Starbucks.They are saying it's time to be "unapologetically black."Being unapologetically black means not expending energy on what white people think, say Stidhum and others. It means loving yourself and your people because some whites sure won't. It's an act of racial self-realization, as the writer Damon Young says in his essay "How To Be Unapologetically Black." It's reaching a place, Young writes, where "you're both unscared to be your black-ass self and embracing of that black-ass self.""It was inspired by this sense of being fed up," Stidhum says. "We're trying to assimilate into a culture that does not welcome us."Being unapologetically black is a relatively new term, but it has a long history. Here's how Beyoncé, Lamar and two black men waiting in Starbucks gave it new meaning.They stepped outside the white gazeSly Stone, the legendary black musician from the 1960s, once wrote a hit for Sly and the Family Stone with the refrain "Thank you for letting me be myself."It was fun song for people to sing; harder, though, for many blacks to live. For much of their history in America, black people have struggled under what some call the "white gaze" -- looking at the world through the eyes of anxious and racist white people.George Yancy, a philosophy professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, described this experience in a 2013 New York Times essay. He said black people have to "move through social spaces in ways that put white people at ease" and that at one time "it was deemed disrespectful for a black person to violate the white gaze by looking directly into the eyes of someone white."Living under the white gaze can be exhausting: always worrying about what they may think, what they may do, how they may react if your subjects and verbs don't agree -- or if they catch you eating fried chicken.Part of what was so thrilling about Beyoncé's and Lamar's achievements is that they seemed indifferent to the white gaze. They weren't arrested, killed or fired from their jobs. They were applauded.Beyoncé makes history with Coachella performanceConsider the gushing tributes to Beyoncé's performance from many white critics such as Jon Caramanica of The New York Times. Though she was the first black woman to headline the largely white music festival in California, she didn't adjust her performance to the white gaze. It was drenched in black culture: There were references to the black marching bands and Greek step shows that are part of historically black college culture, and vocal snippets from Malcolm X and black singer Nina Simone. Beyoncé also performed part of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," known as the black national anthem. And critics such as Caramanica and the mostly white audience at Coachella loved it. Caramanica called it the most "radical performance by an American musician this year, or any year soon" and said Beyoncé "obliterated" the laid-back vibe of Coachella.Lamar's triumph took place on another stage: the announcement by the committee that awards the Pulitzer Prize. He obliterated the stereotype that hip-hop is just a bunch of thugs grabbing their genitals while mumbling nonsensical lyrics. He showed through his dazzling wordplay that hip-hop is art.And he did it by never toning down his blackness -- in his appearance, lyrics or sensibility, says Rashod Ollison, music critic for The Virginian-Pilot and author of "Soul Serenade."Lamar "looks like the type of person that if some people saw him walking down the street, they would fear him," Ollison says. "It proves that there are still people who can get over the stereotypes and get over what they think hip-hop is about and listen with an attentive ear and hear the artistry in what he does."They didn't give into despairThere's an uncomfortable truth, though, about Lamar's and Beyoncé's successes: Many white Americans have long accepted black people's humanity when they are performing, says Stephanie Batiste, a performance artist and an associate professor of black studies and English at the University of California, Santa Barbara."If you're an athlete or a musician, your blackness is acceptable," she says. "If you're not performing, white audiences view your blackness with suspicion."Part of being unapologetically black, though, is dictating your blackness on other stages. Which brings us to the scene of the two black men in Starbucks. It, too, was a piece of performance art with its own message. JUST WATCHEDTwo men arrested at Starbucks demand changeReplayMore Videos ...MUST WATCHTwo men arrested at Starbucks demand change 01:18Perhaps one of the reasons the video of their arrest went viral is that they were literally doing nothing. They were just being black in Starbucks. The incredulous look on the men's faces and their quiet refusal to leave underscored the despair that some blacks now feel: We are never safe anywhere -- even if it's holding a cell phone in our grandmother's backyard, as one black man in Sacramento, California, tragically discovered. Renee Graham, a Boston Globe columnist, captured this despair when she wrote: "To be black is to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time because, in America, there is never a right place for black people." And that includes the White House.Even though Obama was elected twice and left office with high approval ratings, some black Americans are still stung by the way he and his family were treated when he was President: the racist caricatures, the treatment by some white politicians, the birther conspiracy that took flight.Blacks saw Obama as a man who came across as unthreatening but was still treated as if he was, says Stidhum, the writer and director. "He was the respectable Negro. He was biracial, wasn't dark-skinned, spoke the King's English, was smart, married and the head of a nuclear family," Stidhum says. "But still that wasn't enough."Some say Obama was a hybrid figure who alternated between two modes of blackness.When he first ran for President, there were black critics who said he wasn't black enough. He was also criticized for backpedaling after accusing police of "acting stupidly" when they arrested a famous black scholar in his home for suspected burglary. But Obama could pivot into unapologetic blackness on a dime. He quoted hip-hop lyrics in speeches, sang "Amazing Grace" behind the pulpit of a black church and even performed a snatch of an Al Green ballad at the Apollo in a surprisingly competent falsetto."He was a very complex man," says Anthony Bolden, editor of the Langston Hughes Review. "In certain spaces when it was politically expedient, he was unapologetically black. When he sang at the Apollo, that was about as cool as you can get. Nobody imagined that a president could hold a note. But at the same time, he was rather mute about the hard-core realities that affect black people disproportionately. That was a mistake."So, too, was the election of what Stidhum calls an "unapologetically white" president such as Donald Trump. She and others say it seems to have triggered a shift in some black people's thinking:This country will never love me -- time for me to learn to love myself. That, too, is part of being "unapologetically black," some say.It's part of the reason social media is filled with memes such as #blacklove and why so many black people flocked to see the movie "Black Panther," starring unapologetically black actors with dark skin and African facial features.More than a movie, 'Black Panther' is a movement"You cannot be unapologetically black if you still assume that if something happens to be 'black' -- whether it's a public university or a publication or a person -- it's inherently less than," Young wrote in his essay on "How To Be Unapologetically Black."The notion of celebrating blackness, of course, is not new. It fueled elements of the Black Arts Movement in the late '60s when black artists tried to convince black people to love themselves in the face of white racism."I remember when James Brown said, 'I'm black and proud,' " says Bolden, the Langston Hughes Review editor. "That was electric." Today's version of being unapologetically black comes with something new -- a sense of defiant patriotism, says Bolden, who is also an associate professor of African and African-American studies at the University of Kansas.He, too, traces it to Trump, who he says has rekindled "old-fashioned bigotry" in America."That's one of the things about the Black Arts Movement in the '60s," he says. "Blacks were saying, 'We're African and we want to go back to Africa.' Today's people are saying, 'No, we're just as American as you.' It's an unapologetically black American."They don't exclude white people"It's a black thang. You wouldn't understand."That was the slogan of a popular T-shirt I often saw when I attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington. It captured an earlier version of this unapologetically black sentiment: There are regions of the black experience that outsiders cannot comprehend, so don't even bother. What's different about being unapologetically black today, some say, is that this disdain for whites seems absent."There is a population of white people who love Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar who are not bothered by the protest-oriented performances they are creating," says Batiste, the performance artist and professor. "There are white audiences who are not requiring an apology for black independence, for black self-love and black creativity."One of those people is Mark Laver, a Canadian who teaches a course on Lamar's music at Grinnell College in Iowa. Laver is a jazz saxophonist who also directs the college's jazz band.He says Lamar is an extraordinary musician because of his "flow" -- the rhythm of his lyrics and delivery.Like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar's appeal crosses racial lines."There are other rappers who have a more sophisticated wordplay, but the way his flow spills across the bar lines -- he sounds like a saxophone player," Laver says. "He really floats over the top of the music."Though Lamar's music is unapologetically black, others are drawn to it -- and the work of other black musicians -- simply because "it's awesome," Laver says. He cites something the late critic Albert Murray said about blues, another black musical form."When Albert Murray talks about the blues, he says it isn't a music about struggle, it's about overcoming the struggle. It's about when you wake up in the morning you can't get out of bed, but you do get up and move on because struggle is part of life and you handle it. There's something universal about that, even as it's important to acknowledge that it's coming from some really powerful black voices, it's relatable."Black artists tend to thrive when there's political and social turmoil. Black people look for them to "articulate a vision of what hasn't occurred yet" and inspire them to reach for that vision, says Bolden, the University of Kansas professor. "Now it's hip to be an intellectual, to be an artist," he says. "Anytime people are engaged in struggle, it's always cool to be a thinking person."And now it's hip to be unapologetically black, whether it's onstage, in Starbucks -- or even while eating fried chicken in the office.Expect more unapologetically black moments to come.

John Blake, CNN

2019-02-03 21:22:21

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/03/us/racist-photo-northam-blake-analysis/index.html

Analysis: The most shocking part of the racist yearbook photo is unseen - CNN

Here's a shocking truth the racist yearbook photo won't reveal: Some of black people's best friends were white politicians who were racist.

us, Analysis: The most shocking part of the racist yearbook photo is unseen - CNN

Analysis: The most shocking part of the racist yearbook photo is what critics leave out

(CNN)It's an easy call to make, right? A photo on a governor's old yearbook page surfaces showing a person in blackface and another wearing a white Ku Klux Klan hood. The photo can't be written off as a "youthful indiscretion" because the people in it are adults.McAuliffe predicts Northam 'will do the right thing' The governor first apologizes for the photo then denies he's either of the people in the photo, while admitting he once darkened his face for a Michael Jackson dance contest. What more do you need to know? The damage to Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's credibility is so beyond repair that some critics say he has to go.Read More But here's an uncomfortable truth that photo won't reveal: Some of the biggest champions for black people in America's past have been white politicians who were racists. Some of our best friends were racist A pop history quiz: Who was the white Southerner who used the N-word almost like a "connoisseur" and routinely called a landmark civil rights law "the n----- bill." That was President Lyndon Baines Johnson, the greatest civil rights champion of any modern-day president. Who was the white judge who joined the KKK, marched in their parades and spoke at nearly 150 Klan meetings in his white-hooded uniform? That was Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who incurred the wrath of his fellow Southerners when he voted to abolish Jim Crow segregation in the court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. And who was the white politician who also used the N-word freely, told racist jokes and said African-Americans were biologically inferior to whites? Our politicians should be allowed to evolve That's Abraham Lincoln, the "Great Emancipator" and arguably the nation's greatest president. The point of these examples is not to offer a historical loophole for any leader caught being blatantly racist. What happens to Northam is ultimately up to the people he serves and to his conscience. But what I'm saying is that what matters to some black people -- not all, maybe not even most -- is not what a white politician did 30 years ago. It's what he's doing for them today.Who would pass the racist abstinence pledge? I'm wary of those commentators who say they speak for an entire race of people. When a white friend sometimes asks what black people think of an issue, I sometimes tell them, "I don't know, I missed the Weekly Meeting for All Black People in America." Yet I feel confident in saying this: Most are not shocked to hear that a white politician who is a purported ally is accused of doing something racist. We expect racism from many white people. Even among liberals. It's buried so deep that many white liberals don't see it, George Sachs said in a recent essay, "10 Ways White Liberals Perpetuate Racism." "It's automatic and hidden. Binding and resistant to change," the psychologist wrote. "No matter how well-meaning we are, no matter how open-minded. Like the 'root kit' on a computer, racism is hidden and operating without our knowledge." That's why we're sometimes able to accept a political leader caught being racist. And I'm not just talking an abstract acceptance of politicians from another era like Lincoln or Johnson. I'm talking about contemporary politics. President Bill Clinton once did something that infuriated so many blacks that some called it racist. President Bill Clinton infuriated plenty of black people in 1992 with his "Sister Souljah" moment. The then-Arkansas governor was running for president when he compared the rapper Sister Souljah's angry comments about recent riots in Los Angeles to David Duke, a former grand wizard of the KKK. But the black community still largely accepted Clinton because they didn't define him by that one remark. He was so beloved at one point that he was called the nation's first black president. And then there's former Vice President Joe Biden. Remember when he and Obama were competing for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2007? Biden called Obama "articulate and bright and clean," as if that was a rarity for a black leader. But Obama went on to choose Biden as his running mate, and Biden is still so popular in the black community that he is considering another run for the presidency.Northam denies being in racist photo but recalls darkening his skin in Michael Jackson dance contest in 1984 Even Obama learned to accept such flaws from a white person who was more than a political ally. It was his white grandmother. In the famous "race" speech he gave in 2008 when his candidacy was threatened by the release of his former pastor's angry condemnation of America, Obama invoked her. "I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother, a woman who helped raise me ... but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that make me cringe." If black people only worked with white allies free of any racism, bias or past mistakes, we would be alone. Before the yearbook incident, Northam won the support of Virginia's black community. He forcefully denounced the 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that took the life of a young woman. He successfully pushed for the expansion of Obamacare in Virginia. Former President Barack Obama campaigned for him. He won almost 90% of the black vote in his successful run for governor in 2017. That might help him, or it may not be enough.What matters for some is not one act from a person's life but the entire play. Do they push for equality in the end?This is why blackface is offensive What matters, too, is how they respond when they're caught in the act. Do they try to deny it, rationalize it with lines like, "That's not who I am today?" Or do they own up to their racism, make no excuses and vow to do better? LBJ, the racist civil rights hero President Lyndon Johnson is a prime example of someone who was able to rise above his racism. In staff meetings, Johnson would routinely use the word "nigra" and "negra," according to the author Adam Serwer in an essay entitled, "Lyndon Johnson was a civil rights hero. But also a racist." He shares a painful story from a biography on Johnson, when Johnson asked his chauffeur if he'd prefer to be called by his name instead of "boy" or the N-word. When the chauffeur said he preferred to be called by his name, Johnson grew angry and told him, "No one's gonna call you by your goddamn name. ... So no matter what you are called, n-----, you just let it roll off your back like water, and you'll make it." But Johnson was the same man who smashed Jim Crow by championing the landmark civil rights bill that formally ended American apartheid, Serwer notes.President Lyndon Johnson was both a champion of civil rights and someone who displayed shocking racism. Johnson's passion for civil rights was so heartfelt that the historian Doris Kearns Goodwin tells a remarkable story in a recent book. It took place when Johnson confronted a Southern senator who was leading the opposition against what would become the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Sen. Richard Russell told Johnson that if he pushed the bill, he would lose the upcoming presidential election, and the Democratic Party would lose the South forever. "Dick, you may be right. But if that's the price I've gotta pay, I'm going to gladly do it," Johnson says, according to Goodwin's book, "Leadership: In Turbulent Times." No room for redemption But could Johnson even survive as a leader today? In the church of the modern-day media, there is no room for redemption. We have a zero-tolerance policy against anyone caught being a racist. They can apologize profusely without any denials or rationalizations, but they will most likely be banished from public life. And no doubt this policy is good. We can't return to the days when politicians freely used the N-word in public. But I think we lose something when we don't allow any politicians to grow past their mistakes. One of the reasons Johnson was such an effective champion for blacks is that he understood the Southern mind better than most. He was fighting against the same demons that he grappled with. He knew what buttons to push against the racist politicians who stood in his way.Ralph Northam has to resign, even if he doesn't know it yet Yet there is not much room for a politician to evolve in today's environment. There is a "rage industrial complex" that fixates on the latest racial flashpoint: an outrageous video, remark or image that's passed around social media like a viral grenade. Meanwhile those banal acts of racism that don't get caught in a photo or a tweet go by unremarked. Here's when I know there's genuine racial progress. It's not when a white politician is caught being racist and people demand his or her head. It's when people show the same amount of public outrage over the everyday acts of racism -- voter suppression, racial profiling, redlining -- that define so much of our everyday lives. Now that would be shocking.

John Blake, CNN

2019-02-01 12:53:44

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/01/us/howard-thurman-mlk-gandhi/index.html

Howard Thurman: The overlooked civil rights hero - CNN

He was a spiritual genius who mentored MLK and carried Gandhi's teaching to America. Meet Howard Thurman, the man who "put angry hearts at ease."

us, Howard Thurman: The overlooked civil rights hero - CNN

He was MLK's mentor, and his meeting with Gandhi changed history. But Howard Thurman was largely unknown, until now

(CNN)A visitor seeking advice from the Rev. Howard Thurman one day was talking about what the world needs when Thurman interrupted him. "Don't ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive, and go do it," Thurman told him. "Because what the world needs are people who have come alive." Thurman's response went viral before the term was invented. It's been cited by everyone from cultural icon Oprah Winfrey to countless inspirational speakers. It's even become an internet meme. But what makes those words stick is that Thurman validated them by the way he lived. He was a shy man who didn't lead marches or give dramatic speeches. But he was full of big ideas that changed the world. He pioneered a form of spiritual activism that blended contemplation with confrontation. He was "one of the unacknowledged shapers of 20th century America," according to one historian.They called the Rev. Howard Thurman a mystic but his friends and students said he was a mesmerizing storyteller and a genuinely kind man. Thurman forged a connection between Mohandas Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that gave wings to the civil rights movement. He wrote a bombshell of a book that revolutionized the traditional portrait of Jesus. And he still inspires leaders as diverse as civil rights icon John Lewis, the Democratic congressman from Atlanta, and Barbara Brown Taylor, a celebrated author and speaker. Read More "Howard Thurman was a spiritual genius who transformed persons who transformed history," is how Luther E. Smith, Jr., author of "Howard Thurman: The Mystic as Prophet," once described him. Now a broader audience is being offered their own chance to meet Thurman. Starting Friday, PBS stations will air "Backs Against the Wall: The Howard Thurman Story." The 55-minute film explores how Thurman went from a lonely African-American boy who talked to an oak tree for companionship to a man who still speaks to spiritual seekers nearly 40 years after his death. Martin Doblmeier, the film's director, said Thurman's voice is needed even more today because of pervasive political and religious tribalism. Thurman constantly sought common ground with people who were different. He calls Thurman the "patron saint of those who say I'm spiritual not religious." "He can put angry hearts at ease," he says. "You can't read Howard Thurman and come away with an angry heart."Thurman's deep connection with MLK He also took risks. He was the first pastor to co-found an intentionally multiracial and multifaith church in the United States. He was the first African-American pastor to travel to India and meet Gandhi. (Gandhi ended their meeting by asking Thurman to sing a Negro spiritual). And he was one of the first pastors to inspire King to merge Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance with the civil rights movement. Thurman's connection with King went way back. He was a classmate of King's father, "Daddy King," at Morehouse College. And he became dean at Boston University's Marsh Chapel while King was enrolled at the university. While King was studying for his doctorate at the university, he would attend chapel service and take notes while Thurman preached. King would often stop by Thurman's house on Sunday afternoons for another ritual: watching Jackie Robinson play baseball on TV. "There's this fatherly sense, this spiritual mentorship that Thurman provides to Martin Luther King, Jr.," Doblmeier says.The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. shared a belief in "prophetic spirituality" and a fondness for Jackie Robinson with Howard Thurman. King quickly got a chance to apply the lessons he learned from hearing Thurman preach. Six months after earning his doctorate, he led his first nonviolent mass protest in Montgomery, Alabama. Thurman's concepts about nonviolence and Jesus are peppered through some of King's writings. "One cannot understand King's philosophy and theology without first understanding Thurman's work and Thurman's influence on King and other civil rights leaders," says David B. Gowler, co-editor of "Howard Thurman: Sermons on the Parables." Gowler called Thurman one of the overlooked heroes of the civil rights movement. Yet he wasn't a traditional preacher-activist. One pastor in the film quipped that many expected Thurman to be a Moses, but instead they got a mystic.The essence of Thurman's message Thurman embodied what some call a "prophetic spirituality." He talked constantly about the "inward journey." But he wasn't interested in any theology preoccupied with the self. He thought personal transformation should be accompanied by a "burning concern for social justice." Gowler calls Thurman a "spiritual activist." So was Thurman's wife, Sue Bailey Thurman, When Howard Thurman met Mohandas Gandhi, they had a lengthy conversation that ended with Gandhi asking him to sing a Negro spiritual. "He was fundamentally both a teacher and pastor to others in the civil rights movement," says Gowler, a religion professor at Oxford College of Emory University in Georgia. Thurman was also another type of pioneer, the film shows. Long before the term "interfaith dialogue" became common, Thurman worshiped with people of other faiths and warned about the dangers of religious fundamentalism. He once told the BBC that "theologies are inventions of the mind" designed to "imprison religious experience." But the religious experience itself will always be one step ahead of dogma because it is "dynamic and fluid.""Whether I'm black, white, Presbyterian, Baptist, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim -- in the presence of God all of these categories by which we relate to each other fade away," Thurman says during another interview in the film.The film also explores Thurman's best-known work, "Jesus and the Disinherited," which was published in 1949. The book was a condemnation of an "otherworldly" Christianity, which Thurman said was far too often "on the side of the strong and the powerful against the weak and oppressed." A person can't grasp Jesus' message without first understanding the anger and fear that he grappled with as a member of a despised minority under Roman occupation, Thurman argued in the book. "Jesus was a Jew. Jesus was a poor Jew. Jesus was a poor Jew from a minority group. Thurman makes the point that if Jesus were kicked into the ditch by a Roman soldier, he would be just another Jew in a ditch," Gregory Ellison II, an activist who is working on a book on Thurman, says in the film.The 'sound of the genuine' Thurman knew what it felt like to be despised. He was born in 1899 in Daytona Beach, Florida, during the "nadir" of race relations in post-Civil War America. Lynching was common, discrimination legal and the Ku Klux Klan was so popular it held a massive march on Washington when he was a young man. He was 7 when his father died. He was raised in part by his grandmother, Nancy, who had been enslaved. She was illiterate, but he saw her as his first spiritual genius. "I learned more, for instance, about the genius of the religion of Jesus from my grandmother than from all the men who taught me all ... the Greek and all the rest of it," he once said.The Rev. Howard Thurman was a mystic who saw visions but it was his hard-nosed ideas about social activism that changed history. Despite Thurman's influence, he's not commonly known today. Many classic civil rights books and documentaries fail to mention him. Part of that may be because Thurman was so hard to define. Even his preaching style was unconventional. He didn't throw down like a traditional black pastor with foot-stomping and shouting. In the book, "Howard Thurman: Essential Writings," Smith describes Thurman's peculiar preaching style: "He was a master in the use of silence. At times, he would be so overwhelmed by an understanding that he seemed to be in a trance."Thurman's relative obscurity is part of what drove Doblmeier to make his film. "My big fear is that Howard Thurman's name might get lost in history," he says. "We want to use this moment in history to get the word out." Others are taking up Doblmeier's cause. The director Arleigh Prelow is nearing completion of another film on the minister and mystic entitled, "The Psalm of Howard Thurman." And a biography, "Against the Hounds of Hell: A life of Howard Thurman," is set to be published next year. Thurman may finally get mass recognition. Not that it would matter to him, though. He was interested in something else. In 1980, a year before he died, he gave a commencement address at Spelman College in Atlanta, where he talked about what he called "the sound of the genuine." He described it as something that "flows through everyone" but can be rendered mute by ambition, dreams and the daily tumult of life. "You are the only you that has ever lived; your idiom is the only idiom of its kind in all of existence," Thurman said. "And if you cannot hear the sound of the genuine in you, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls." So what is the sound of the genuine? The meaning is elusive but tantalizing, like much of Thurman's work. Ask four Thurman scholars and you'll get four different answers. But virtually all of Thurman's devotees agree on one point. The Rev. Otis Moss Jr., a civil right activist, says it best near the end of the film. "If you are a serious person about your own journey," Moss says, "especially if you are in the struggle for human rights, then you've got to meet Howard Thurman."

John Blake, CNN

2018-10-26 11:56:19

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https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/26/us/bob-cousy-bill-russell-last-pass/index.html

Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy makes his 'last pass' - CNN

What do white athletes owe black teammates they've befriended when those friends take a public stand against racism? Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy's tears offer an answer.

us, Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy makes his 'last pass' - CNN

What white players owe their black teammates: Boston Celtics legend's tears offer an answer

(CNN)On the court, Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy was known for his "unshatterable poise." When he led his team's famed fast-break, he handled the ball with such ease that one observer said it "seemed to have wings and a homing device." But there was one basketball moment where Cousy lost all sense of control. He couldn't talk. He choked back sobs. He covered his face with his outsized hands to mask his shame. It's rare in America for a 90-year-old white man to reconsider race and how it played out in his own life, but that's what Cousy is doing Gary M. Pomerantz, author of "The Last Pass"It came while he tried to explain his relationship with his legendary teammate, Bill Russell. An ESPN crew was interviewing Cousy on camera about Russell when the conversation shifted to the racism Russell endured during the Celtics' heyday in the late 1950s and early '60s."We could've done more to ease his pain and make him feel more comfortable," Cousy told the interviewer. "I should've been much more sensitive to Russell's anguish in those days. We'd talk ..."Read MoreAnd that's when Cousy loses it. His face contorts in anguish, and he breaks down. The interviewer quickly moved on after Cousy regained his composure. But Gary M. Pomerantz, an author and historian, saw a replay of the 2001 film and wanted to know more. He gave Cousy a call. The result of that conversation is "The Last Pass," a new book that examines the complex relationship between these two iconic athletes. "It's rare in America for a 90-year-old white man to reconsider race and how it played out in his own life, but that's what Cousy is doing," Pomerantz said. "He's not gilding any lilies. He's pointing out his flaws and admitting to them."Cousy, or "Cooz" as he is commonly known, said he never anticipated the torrent of guilt he experienced when ESPN asked him about the man he calls "Russ." But he wondered if he should have done more for Russell; after all, Cousy had been the captain of the Celtics and the symbol of the team in Boston."I had this in my subconscious, of not having done enough for Russ," he told CNN. "It had been repressed. Something had brought it out." A 'lone soldier' stands up"The Last Pass" isn't just about the past. It raises a question about the present: What do white athletes owe black teammates they've befriended when those friends take a public stand against racism? Cousy isn't the only white athlete to ask if he should have done more. And plenty of white athletes face that question today, as more black athletes use their public platforms to protest racial injustice. Cousy says telling other white players what they should do is not his style. He said white athletes should follow their own conscience when a black teammate speaks out. Peter Norman was vilified after he stood with Tommie Smith, center, and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics.One of history's most iconic sports photographs captures the choice one white athlete made. It shows two African-American sprinters giving a black power salute from the victory stand at the 1968 Olympic games as the national anthem was played. The two men, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, are heroes today. Few, however, know what happened to the white sprinter who stood on the victory box with them. His name was Peter Norman, and he decided to publicly support Smith and Carlos by wearing a button advocating racial justice. That gesture infuriated so many people in his native Australia that he had to abandon his track career. Carlos called him "a lone solider."In many ways, Smith and Carlos were the Colin Kaepernicks of their day. The former NFL quarterback began protesting racism by taking a knee during the national anthem, all but ending his career. Since then, other black NFL players have followed his lead -- including one man who found his own "lone soldier." Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins had been raising his fist during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. Before one game, Chris Long, a white teammate, walked up to Jenkins as he protested and put his arm around his soldier.When Malcolm Jenkins raised his fist, teammate Chris Long offered a public sign of support."I'm just telling Malcolm, 'I am here for you,' and I think it's a good time for people who look like me to be here for people fighting for equality," Long explained later.When asked about the NFL protests, Cousy said he likes the message but not the method."I would divorce myself from the venue or the brand" to make the same point, Cousy said."I agree with the cause; I don't agree with the venue they chose," Cousy said. "It brings everyone under the gun. I think they might have lost a lot of support from moderate whites that they would have enjoyed if they had chosen a different venue."A lie coated in racismIt would be a mistake, though, to think "The Last Pass" is full of tormented introspection. Much of the book is a rollicking look at the early days of NBA. Pomerantz describes it as an era when "matronly women rushed onto the court between halves to swing their handbags at Celtics players'' when they were on the road, fistfights routinely erupted on the court among players and coaches, and the NBA was so broke that players subsisted on $5 a day in meal money.Russell, who could not be reached for comment, dominates many sections of the book. Bob Cousy, right, and Bill Russell pose for a team photo in 1963 with coach Red Auerbach.He was the prototype of the freakishly tall athletic men of today's NBA. He was also fiercely intelligent, skilled in verbal combat, a voracious reader and utterly uninterested in helping white people feel more comfortable around him.When Russell joined the Celtics in 1956, it marked a turning point. The team had drafted Cousy six years earlier but had yet to win an NBA championship. Together, the pair led the Celtics to six titles over the next seven seasons.Still, the largely white crowds and white sportswriters in Boston cheered louder and longer for Cousy in a way they never would for Russell, Pomerantz said."At the time, the Celtics were considered Cousy's team, not Russell's," Pomerantz said. "That was a lie, at least partially coated in racism."That treatment didn't silence Russell. He raised his voice. He became an outspoken racial activist. He led civil rights marches, spoke out in the media, and eventually became the first black coach in the NBA.His activism made him a target. He frequently endured racial taunts. One of Russell's worst moments came when vandals broke into his home, spray-painted racial slurs throughout it and defecated in his bed."It was a time when very few athletes were speaking out against social injustice, but Russell did," Pomerantz said. "When Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream" speech, Russell was sitting on the front row. He was engaged. His voice was heard."Two murderously competitive menCousy, however, wondered if he should have raised his voice on behalf of Russell. He wasn't the lone soldier type of activist. He fought for racial progress in subtle ways. He mentored two African-American boys in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America program. He wrote a story for a national magazine about black being beautiful in the NBA. When his two daughters happened to date black men in college, he and his wife, Missie, gave their blessings.Russ was the angry black man, frankly, and I don't blame him one bit. Bob Cousy, on fellow Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell"I've never been a soapbox person," he told CNN. "I've always been a private person that's had to live his life in a public bubble. My style in those days was, try to be helpful and do it by example rather than getting up and screaming at the press."One of the book's striking revelations is that two men so in sync on the court were so distant off of it. Pomerantz said the two never really hung out, never talked about their personal lives or politics. Cousy couldn't understand why Russell was friendly toward other Celtics, but not him.Part of it, Cousy admitted, may have been his own personality. He said he was a "shy kid from the ghetto" when he was on the Celtics. Russell was also standoffish, he said, and his bitterness at his treatment was palpable at times."Russ was the angry black man frankly, and I don't blame him one bit," Cousy said. Still, the two men were "more alike than they ever understood," Pomerantz writes:"Both outsiders, they were self-analytical and murderously competitive. They moved through separate worlds off the court, but on the creaky parquet floor of the Boston Garden they were interlocking pieces."Cousy grew up in a New York tenement during the Great Depression when the city was filled with soup lines. Though he doesn't recall seeing a black person until his senior year in high school, he had experiences that made him more sensitive to intolerance.Bob Cousy receives a banner marking the 50th anniversary of the 1957 championship.His mother was a native of France who hated Germans with a passion. She would often mutter "dirty German" when she encountered German-Americans. She linked them with Nazi atrocities against her homeland. Her bitterness lingered in Cousy's youthful mind.A relationship with another black NBA player deepened Cousy's empathy.He became roommates and close friends with Chuck Cooper, the first black player drafted by the NBA. When Cooper was forced to take a midnight train to a New York game because a segregated hotel refused him lodging, Cousy volunteered to take the train with him.Cousy said they shared the same sense of humor and had the same taste in music and movies. The liked to hang out at jazz clubs until 2 in the morning drinking beer."I saw Chuck Cooper as a tall basketball player with different color eyes, different color hair and, oh yeah, the pigmentation of his skin was different," he said. "I never saw him as a 'black basketball player.' I might have been naïve in those days."Cooper, who died in 1984, is quoted in the book as saying of Cousy: "Bob is as free of racism as any white person I've ever known. He's just a beautiful person."When white athletes take a standBill Bradley, a white member of the New York Knicks during the 1970s, talked often about how similar friendships with black teammates also transformed him. "Race relations are essentially exercises in imagination," he once said. "You have to imagine yourself in the skin of the other party. So that means if you're white, you have to understand certain realities."Part of that reality is that you may be shunned if your friendship leads to taking a public stand.When Norman, the Australian sprinter, returned home after the 1968 Olympics, he became an outcast, according to "Salute!" a documentary on his life. He never ran in the Olympics again. President Obama presents Bill Russell the Medal of Freedom in 2010. Russell was not just a pioneer on the court, he was an outspoken black athlete at a time when most stars kept out of politics. Russell still speaks out.Norman was so excluded that when Australia hosted the Olympics in 2000, he wasn't invited to any official events. Australia has its own legacy of racism, reflected in its treatment of its own indigenous population, the Aborigines. In a story in GRIOT, American sprinter Carlos recalled how Norman reacted when he and Smith asked him if he would support them by wearing a button.Norman, who was a devout Christian, said: "I will stand with you." Carlos said he warned Norman about the consequences."I expected to see fear in Norman's eyes, but instead we saw love," Carlos said.When Norman died in 2006 of a heart attack in Australia, Carlos and Smith served as pallbearers at his funeral and gave eulogies. A lost memoryCousy had at least one moment during his career with the Celtics when he and Russell connected outside the court.It was at a season-ending dinner during the Celtics' glory days in the 1960s. The account is one of the most moving moments in "The Last Pass."Russell gave a majestic speech praising Cousy."Here we are, a bunch of grown men chasing a basketball, playing a boy's game," Russell said. "There is no depth to such accomplishments. You can get a cup of coffee for all your championships. But you can't get friendships like Cousy's." But here's the catch: Cousy lost the moment as if it were a basketball dribbled off of his shoe. "It brought tears to my eyes," Cousy said, when he read about it in Pomerantz's book. "For whatever reason, I don't remember it with that kind of clarity."Another lovely little moment in the book occurred after Cousy wrote a letter to his former teammate seeking to make amends. It was in the winter of 2016, and Cousy was thinking deeply about race in America. He'd read about the Black Lives Matter movement, read "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and his thoughts turned to Russell.Bob Cousy and Bill Russell in 1999 in Boston; the two recently reconnected.He decided to write a page and a half "mea culpa" letter to tell Russell he should have done more."It was a selfish act on my part," Cousy said of the letter. "It was, 'I gotta get this out of my way so I can cross it off my list.'"Cousy didn't hear from Russell for more than two years. Then one Sunday night, Cousy's phone rang. He heard a familiar raspy voice on the other end. It was Russell.Cousy chuckled as he recalled the conversation. Cousy caught up a bit with Russell's life.There were no tears this time."I needled him," Cousy said. "I told Russ, 'I know I'm an old fart at 90, but at 84 you must be getting a second life. I noticed you married a 49-year-old woman.'"Russell roared with laughter.The two kept talking.And for at least that moment, they were in sync, interlocking pieces playing off of one another.Russ and Cooz were back together again.