Climate Links Aug 29, 2017

Houston Residents Begin Surveying Damage Of 200 Years Of Unchecked Worldwide Industrialization. The Onion. Aug. 28, 2017.

HOUSTON—Appearing shellshocked as they took in the scenes of devastation around them, Houston residents reportedly emerged from their homes Monday to survey the damage caused by 200 years of rampant, worldwide industrialization. “Oh my God. Everything’s destroyed, everywhere you look,” said visibly stunned citizen Chris Marciano, one of the 2.3 million locals who stared silently, buried their faces in their hands, or broke down in tears at the sight of entire neighborhoods and business centers that had been wiped out by generations of aggressive, unregulated expansion of mass production methods and transportation technologies and the resultant exponential growth in harmful gas emissions. “We’ve lost everything, absolutely everything. I’ve never seen destruction like this before. If only there had been some way this could have been prevented.” At press time, officials were urging citizens all along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast to prepare for similar emergencies, warning that the centuries of unrestrained global manufacturing growth that hit Houston could strike anywhere, any time.

yes, The Onion is satirical. But, in this case...




Harvey is already the worst rainstorm in U.S. history, and it’s still raining. Eric Holthaus, Grist. Aug 28, 2017.



Harvey Moves Back Over Water; Historic Rainfall Will Continue. Dr. Jeff Masters, weather underground. Aug. 28, 2017.






There's No App for That. Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute. Aug. 8, 2017.

Technology and Morality in the Age of Climate Change, Overpopulation, and Biodiversity Loss

Technology has grown with us, side by side, since the dawn of human society. Each time that we’ve turned to it to solve a problem or make us more comfortable, we’ve been granted a solution. But it turns out that all of the gifts Technology has bestowed on us come with costs. And now we are facing some of our biggest challenges—climate change, overpopulation, and biodiversity loss. Naturally, we’ve turned to our longtime friend and ally, Technology, to get us out of this mess. But are we asking too much this time? 

In this manifesto, Richard Heinberg examines where this incredibly pervasive belief falls apart and offers compelling evidence for why we can’t count on technology alone to save us from climate change, overpopulation, and biodiversity loss.

Temperatures could rise by 10 deg C by 2026. Arctic News. Aug. 16, 2017.