Biden administration racial educational equity actions mark desegregation anniversary


 President Joe Biden speaks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., on Friday, May 17, 2024. Biden delivered remarks at an NAACP event marking the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education at the Museum. Photo by Al Drago/UPI | License Photo

May 17 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden laid out new actions Friday to advance racial and educational equity on the 70th anniversary of the historic U.S. Supreme Court Brown vs. Board of Education decision that outlawed racially segregated schools.

These actions include $20 million in new magnet school grants in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina and Texas intended to further desegregate schools. Biden's 2025 budget request includes $139 million for magnet school programs.

A new technical assistance center will be established to help states and school districts provide more equitable and adequate funding approaches, according to the White House.

A new report from the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights will be released providing fresh data on equal access to math and science courses.

New efforts are also being made to better preserve African American history, including preserving historic sites and protecting and increasing access to literature.

The White House said in a statement that the release of additional funding and resources will "support school diversity and advance the goal that all students have access to a world-class education."

"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring the educational success of every child, and to address racial segregation in our schools that leads to worse educational outcomes for children, including through investments in local efforts to increase diversity and equal opportunity," the White House statement said.

Biden on Thursday met with Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of Oliver Brown and Leola Brown Montgomery, the namesake plaintiffs in the case, Thursday to commemorate the anniversary.

Biden then on Friday delivered remarks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Biden recalled the work Black lawyer and civil rights advocate Lewis L. Redding, who represented Claymont families in the 1952 Belton vs. Gebhart case.

"One of the cases that led to the landmark [Brown vs. Board] decision was in my home state of Delaware," said Biden, who was a third grader in Claymont at the time. "They just wanted a simple proposition, they wanted their kids to be treated with dignity and respect."

Belton vs. Gepbhart was one of five cases that would be combined into Brown vs. Board. Redding's arguments in that case and others in Delaware laid the legal groundwork for Brown, Biden said.

After Brown, the school desegregation that followed led to a 30% increase in graduation rates for Black students and a 22% increase for Latino students, according to the White House.

Biden on Friday also touted $16 billion worth of investments under his administration in historically Black colleges and universities. The investments have helped build student housing, study climate science, create health research labs and more.

The White House said that during the Biden administration more than $300 million is being invested in programs that increase school diversity.

The Department of Education under Biden also issued a new rule for Charter School applicants that the schools would not negatively affect community desegregation efforts where proposed charter schools would be located.

As it marked the 70th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education, the White House noted research showing "that racial achievement gaps are strongly associated with school segregation, in turn because schools with high concentrations of Black and Latino students receive fewer resources."

That rapid desegregation trend in the 1960s and 1970s was reversed in the past two decades when both racial and economic segregation increased, the White House said.

"For example, segregation between white and Black students is up 64% since 1988, while segregation by economic status has grown by 50% since 1991," the White House statement said.

Biden administration brings HCBU investment to $16 billion
By Mark Moran


Morehouse College graduating seniors wave to family members before President Barack Obama delivers their commencement address on May 19, 2013, in Atlanta. Total investments in HBCUs has brought the total to $16 billion.

 UPI/David Tulis | License Photo

May 16 (UPI) -- Ths Biden administration announced a record investment in historically Black colleges and Universities Thursday, bringing the total support to more than $16 billion.

"These historic funding levels demonstrate the Administration's ongoing commitment to HBCUs, which serve as an engine for upward economic mobility in our country," a press release from the White House said. "The Administration is also focused on work to ensure HBCUs have the resources to provide a high-quality postsecondary education."

HBCUs have been an important part of the educational landscape for 180 years, the White House said, and despite the fact that only 3% of U.S. colleges and universities are HBCUs, they play an "important role in supporting the economic mobility of African Americans," the White House said.

Forty-percent of Black engineers, 50% of all Black teachers, 70% of all Black doctors and dentists, 80% of all Black judges, and the first woman and Black Vice President of the United States are HBCU alumni.

"As a proud graduate of Howard University, I know firsthand that our HBCUs are centers of academic excellence," Vice President Kamala Harris said. "For generations, these anchors of our communities have played a pivotal role in building and contributing to America's leadership at home and abroad.

HBCUs support nearly five times more students than Ivy League schools in helping people transition from the bottom 40% in U.S. household income to the top 60%, according to social mobility research by the United Negro College Fund.

The Biden administration said the investments in HBCUs are an example of its commitment to investing in advancing racial equality, educational excellence and economic opportunity.

Aside from the standard educational opportunities, the administration said its investment is yielding results in many areas, and offered as one example a 5-year, $90 million investment in a first-of-its-kind HBCU-led University Affiliated Research Center, led by Howard University. The facility will focus on autonomous Air Force technology missions.

The White House also called HBCUs "engines for upward mobility" and a CEA report published Thursday shows that HBCU enrollment has positive effects on bachelor's degree completion and household income later in life.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced awards totaling $5.5 million for HBCUs to improve the production of affordable housing, bolster Black homeownership, advance the use of renewable energy, and serve the infrastructure needs of underserved communities.

HBCUs have achieved this success despite chronic underfunding, the White House said.

Biden signs memorandum for new environmental protections in Antarctic


Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, NASA and other research organizations have discovered two seafloor troughs that could allow warm ocean water to reach the base of Totten Glacier, East Antarctica's largest and most rapidly thinning glacier. President Joe Biden on Friday signed a national security memorandum that provides new policies regarding the Antarctic region, particularly in climate change research. Photo by NASA/UPI


May 17 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Friday signed a memorandum updating United States policy on the Antarctic region in an effort to protect it from the effects of climate change.

The national security memorandum replaces the 1994 policy on Arctic and Antarctic regions and establishes key objectives by which the United States will lead and participate in activities through the Antarctic Treaty System.

The new policy has four primary objectives:Protect the "relatively unspoiled" Antarctic environment and related ecosystems
Preserve and pursue opportunities for scientific research and understand Antarctica's relationship to climate change
Maintain the Antarctic as a region of peaceful international cooperation
Ensure the protection of living resources and ecosystems in the region

"We remain vigilant against actions by countries that could threaten U.S. national interests by bringing international discord to the Antarctic region," the White House said in a statement.

"The United States, represented by the Department of State at ATS bodies, will work with international partners through the ATS to promote peace and science in the region, and promote international cooperation while safeguarding U.S. national interests."

The U.S. National Science Foundation manages three year-round Antarctic research facilities.

The foundation collaborates with other federal science agencies on research in aeronomy and astrophysics, ecology, atmospheric sciences, biology and medicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology, ocean and climate systems, and living marine resources.

Research conducted by the United States and other countries continues to demonstrate the damages of global climate change on the Antarctic region, including through ocean warming and acidification, ozone depletion, rising sea levels, and air and water pollution.

American research also has revealed the risks and uncertainties of climate "tipping points" such as the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet.

The United States said it will continue to encourage countries to set "ambitious" 2035 nationally determined contributions under the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and establish a system of protected marine areas in the Antarctic.

The updated policy builds on the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to modernize outdated climate and environmental policies, according to the White House.

 

Permafrost Showdown

by Robert Hunziker / May 17th, 2024

“Deep below the glistening surface of a frozen Arctic lake, something is bubbling—something that could cause global warming to accelerate beyond all previous projections… Now the freezer door is opening, releasing the carbon into Arctic lake bottoms. Microbes digest it, convert it to methane, and the lakes essentially burp out methane.’ Scientists estimate that permafrost holds up to 950 billion tons of carbon. As it thaws, 50 billion tons of methane could enter the atmosphere from Siberian lakes alone. That’s ten times more methane than the atmosphere holds right now,” (Katey Walter Anthony, biogeochemist, National Geographic Explorer Since 2011)

Rapid warming of Arctic permafrost has brought a significant threat to all life forms. Consequently, The Royal Society (est. 1660) felt compelled to support publication of a new video that exposes this threat: What Happens When the Permafrost Thaws? BBC in partnership with The Royal Society by Daniel Nils Roberts, British-Norwegian director, April 15, 2024.

“Thermokarst lakes (formed when permafrost melts) are projected to release approximately 40% of ancient permafrost soil carbon emissions this century.” (Source: K.M. Walter Anthony, et al, “Decadal-scale Hotspot Methane Ebullition Withing Lakes Following Abrupt Permafrost Thaw”, Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 16, No. 3, 2021).

“The Tibetan Plateau is the largest alpine permafrost region in the world, accounting for approximately 75% of the total alpine permafrost area in the Northern Hemisphere. Similar to high-latitude permafrost regions, this region has experienced fast climate warming and extensive permafrost thaw, which has triggered the widespread expansion of thermokarst lakes and other types of abrupt permafrost thaw. The number of thermokarst lakes in this permafrost region is estimated to be 161,300.” (Source: Guibiao Yang, et al, “Characteristics of Methane Emissions from Alpine Thermokarst Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau”, Nature Communications 14, Article No. 3121, 2023).

Ecosystems throughout the planet are rapidly transforming because of human-generated global warming. After all, what does the formation of 161,300 thermokarst lakes in only the Alpine permafrost region alone say about the impact of global warming?

Scientists are expressing renewed concerns about monster climate events lurking beneath the frozen ground of permafrost, which is 15% of the exposed land surface of the Northern Hemisphere (MIT Climate Portal). And monsters lurk above solid grounding in Antarctic glacial formations, starting to fracture as fissures widen like ogres of the deep.

From the Arctic to Antarctica the planet is sagging, dripping, slouching, changing the face of 10,000 years of nature coexisting with humanity side-by-side until only recently as it transforms into an adversarial relationship. Permafrost ranks alongside the Arctic, Antarctica, Greenland, The Great Barrier Reef, and the world’s three largest rainforests as the most important determinates of this changing future. Within permafrost’s confines exist thousands of years of latent ingredients that have the potential to set the world on fire. Its impact could be transcendent.

“Most of Earth’s near-surface permafrost could be gone by 2100, an international team of scientists has concluded after comparing current climate trends to the planet’s climate 3 million years ago… The team found that the amount of near-surface permafrost could drop by 93% compared to the preindustrial period of 1850 to 1900. That’s under the most extreme warming scenario in the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.” (Source: Study: “Near Surface Permafrost Will Be Nearly Gone by 2100″, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, September 15, 2023).

What Happens When the Permafrost Thaws (the film): “Permafrost is of huge importance to the entire planet… including one-half of Canada and two-thirds of Russia… and the Tibetan Plateau… permafrost is rock, sediment or ice that remains at or below zero degrees Celsius for two or more consecutive years… depending upon where it is found, permafrost can be millions of years old.”

Interviews in the What Happens film, living in permafrost regions, like Svalbard, Norway, when discussing noticeable climate change: “This kind of weather, it’s not supposed to be like this in October, it’s supposed to be minus 15°, clear, dry climate, and it’s not. It’s a rainstorm.”

As a result of abnormal climate behavior, especially where permafrost hangs out, the “active layer” of permafrost is getting deeper and deeper throughout the world. This is bad news. This creates more and more exposure to thousands of years of accumulation of “who knows what?”  It’s happening at a fast enough rate now that it could expose 10,000,000 woolly mammoths (a very rough estimate by somebody?) as well as ancient viruses, and who knows what else?

Moreover, aside from 10,000,000 woolly mammoth skeletons with some of them kinda well-preserved skin, fur, etc., a unique study claims up to 20,000 toxic contamination sites could be exposed: “Here we identify about 4500 industrial sites where potentially hazardous substances are actively handled or stored in the permafrost-dominated regions of the Arctic. Furthermore, we estimate that between 13,000 and 20,000 contaminated sites are related to these industrial sites.”  (Source: Moritz Langer, et al, “Thawing Permafrost Poses Environmental Threat to Thousands of Sites with Legacy Industrial Contamination”, Nature Communications, March 28, 2023).

“But there’s something else that concerns scientists much more. The scariest thing that is happening with permafrost is what it is doing to the climate itself… permafrost acts as a storage… it locks up the carbon from dead vegetation quite effectively, and it’s accumulated over many thousands of years.” (What Happens).

Now, the freezer door is open. Nobody knows for sure what’ll come through. But the biggest concern is permafrost competing with human-driven carbon emissions like CO2. This could drive global warming to unspeakable levels.

“There’s estimated to be four times the amount of carbon in permafrost than all the human-generated CO2 emissions in modern history. The release into the atmosphere of even a fraction of this as carbon dioxide and methane will have a profound impact on the climate.” (What Happens)

“What can be done” is an open question that’s semi-addressed in the film What Happens: We can make more informed decisions and build communities that are resilient to changes, highlighted by the ways that humans are entangled with nature. In other words, adaptation is the most realistic solution, other than stopping fossil fuels, which is not happening.

Meanwhile, the backup position to frustration over ongoing CO2 emissions that are continuing to ratchet up, now at all-time highs, scientists are increasingly calling for “adaptation to climate change” instead of pounding the table for a halt to emissions. For example, a recent report by the prestigious Columbia Climate School makes the case: “Experts are warning that policymakers should consider adaptation to sea-level rise a primary concern.” But, how to adapt to permafrost thaw is an altogether different matter… the most challenging of all.

In truth, climate change is far ahead of schedule, as scientific models of yesteryear look like distant history. It’s likely that history will designate the 21st century “The Age of Adaptation” by default as countries react, after the fact, to collapsing ecosystems, which guarantees a future full of surprises beyond wildest imagination.

There are scientists who believe permafrost thawing will accelerate global warming beyond the comfort zone of life in several regions of the planet; in fact, it’s already very close to a large scale event in Pakistan, India’s Indus River Valley, eastern China, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Still, regardless of circumstances, finding a way forward to the future is in the lifeblood of humanity. In that regard, there is some good news (kinda good): According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) renewables will meet 35% of “global power generation” by 2025, thus a significant rise in CO2 emissions from global power activity is unlikely over the next few years. However, global power generation is not the full enchilada of world energy: Along those lines, coal consumption is expected to drop 13.5% by 2030 but natural gas and oil will both rise as renewables, alongside fossil fuels, experience strong growth to meet increasing levels of demand. According to the IEA, fossil fuels will still account for 70% of world energy, down from today’s 82%, by 2030. This is progress but is it too slow, not enough soon enough? Moreover, and as endorsed by several oil CEOs, the IEA expects oil supply to remain robust into 2050. Hmm -global warming is all about excessive levels of fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Those emissions are not going away anytime soon, which will please the permafrost thawing gods.

As for US influence to lessen the impact of permafrost thawing, although not expressly stated as such in the legislative bill, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides $370 billion in clean energy investments. But can Biden’s IRA survive political wars? Is IRA bulletproof? More importantly, is it enough soon enough?

According to Barron’s d/d April 1, 2024: “Trump Is Taking Aim at Biden’s Climate Law”: He calls it a waste of money, and instead, has promised oil and gas CEOs favorable treatment, including scrapping Biden’s IRA, if elected, assuming they pony-up $1 billion for his campaign. Is this a bribe? It’s MAGA’s BMGW “Buy More Global Warming” to subsidize thawing of permafrost.Facebook

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Robert Hunziker (MA, economic history, DePaul University) is a freelance writer and environmental journalist whose articles have been translated into foreign languages and appeared in over 50 journals, magazines, and sites worldwide. He can be contacted at: rlhunziker@gmail.com. Read other articles by Robert.

Russia Discovers Massive Oil and Gas Reserves in British Antarctic Territory

  City A.M - May 13, 2024

• 
  
• Russia's Rosgeo uncovered oil and gas reserves in British Antarctic territory, estimated at around 511 billion barrels.
• 
  
• The discovery poses environmental risks and challenges the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which prohibits oil developments in the region.
• 
  
• Geopolitical tensions rise as Russia's activities in Antarctica are viewed as a move towards resource extraction rather than scientific research, sparking concerns among international observers.

Russia has found huge oil and gas reserves in British Antarctic territory, potentially leading to drilling in the protected region.

The reserves uncovered contain around 511bn barrels worth of oil, equating to around 10 times the North Sea’s output over the last 50 years.

The discovery, per Russian research ships, was revealed in evidence submitted to the Commons Environment Audit Committee last week. The committee was assessing questions regarding oil and gas research on ships owned by the Kremlin’s Rosgeo, the largest geological exploration company in Russia.

Antarctica is currently protected by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which prohibits all oil developments in the area.

It was set up to ensure the region was used “exclusively for peaceful purposes” and would “not become the scene or object of international discord.”

The committee heard from minister David Rutley, who assured MPs Russia was conducting scientific research in the region. “Russia has recently reaffirmed its commitment to the key elements of the treaty,” he said.

But Klaus Dodds, a professor of geopolitics at Royal Holloway University, argued the Antarctic policy environment was “arguably at its most challenging since the late 1980s and early 1990s.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created “widespread concern that a worsening relationship with the country will spark strategic competition and make it even more explicit in Antarctica.”

He believes Russian activity in the region equated to hunting for oil and gas as opposed to scientific research.

“Russia’s activities need to be understood as a decision to undermine the norms associated with seismic survey research, and ultimately a precursor for forthcoming resource extraction,” Dodds said in comments reported by the Telegraph.

The Antarctic Treaty is the largest of Britain’s 14 overseas territories but it has faced competition claims from Argentina and Chile in the past.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “Russia has repeatedly assured the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting that these activities are for scientific purposes.”

 

UK’s Parliament Probes Russian Oil Exploration in Antarctica

Russian research ship Akademik Alexander Karpinsky undertook oil and gas surveys in previously-unexplored areas covered by treaty (Rosgeo file image)

PUBLISHED MAY 12, 2024 11:24 PM BY BRIAN GICHERU KINYUA

 

 

As part of its ongoing examination of the UK’s interests in Antarctica, the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) last week held a special session on Russian oil exploration in the polar region. The inquiry saw three ministers grilled on Russian oil prospecting activities in Antarctica, which are believed to fall within the UK’s claimed territory in the region.

In 2020, Russian mineral exploration company Rosgeo reported that its research vessel Alexander Karpinsky had completed a comprehensive sub-surface geological survey, mapping oil and gas bearing prospects on the Antarctic ice shelves. The study was part of the 65th Russian Antarctic expedition. At the time, the exploration covered the southeastern part of the Riiser-Larsen Sea off the coast of Queen Maud Land, an Antarctic region claimed by Norway.

However, EAC heard that since 2011, Russian seismic surveys have been happening off the Weddell Sea, which falls under the UK’s claim in Antarctic territory. According to Rosgeo, its surveys have revealed approximately 500 billion barrels (70 billion tons) of hydrocarbon potential in the Southern Ocean’s basins.

While giving his submissions to EAC, Junior Minister at Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office David Rutley, said that Russia has given a commitment to abide by the Antarctic Treaty. In 1976, the treaty nations signatories decided to impose a moratorium on the exploration and exploitation of Antarctic minerals, taking a precautionary approach to protecting the region.

But countries such as Russia have continued with mineral exploration under the guise of scientific research, which is permissible under the treaty. In total, Antarctica has seven historic claimants including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway and the UK. However, these claims of ownership were suspended when the Antarctic Treaty was negotiated in 1959, making Antarctica an enormous no man’s land.

Unfortunately, the governance of the earth’s polar regions has come under immense stress since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Experts have warned that the worsening relationship between Russia and the West could culminate in competition rather than collaboration in conserving the integrity of Antarctica. This has already started to manifest, with China and Russia blocking attempts by other Antarctic treaty nations to expand marine protected areas in the region.

“Russia’s collection of seismic data in Antarctica construed as prospecting signals a potential threat to the permanent ban on mining, with knock-on implications for the integrity of the protocol in its entirety. In 2048, there is scope for potential change to the protocol but there are strict rules and pre-conditions that shape that scope. But the current Russian activity is troubling,” Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics at the University of London informed EAC in a written submission.

CO2 increasing 10 times faster than any point in last 50,000 years

Scientists in the US and at the University of St Andrews studied ancient Antarctic ice to make the discovery.

St Andrews UniversityScientists looked at ancient Antarctic ice to analyse CO2 levels in the atmosphere
PA Media

The rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is currently 10 times faster than at any point in the past 50,000 years, research in Scotland and the US has shown.

A team of researchers led by Oregon State University and the University of St Andrews undertook a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice, revealing the stark findings and the impact of human emissions.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provide important understanding of abrupt climate change periods in Earth’s past and offer insight into the potential impacts of climate change.

The rate of carbon dioxide (CO2) increase was branded “unprecedented”, and driven by human emissions.

When the gas enters the atmosphere, it contributes to warming of the climate due to the greenhouse effect.

In the past, the levels have fluctuated due to ice age cycles and other natural causes, but today they are rising because of human emissions, according to scientists.

Dr Kathleen Wendt, an assistant professor in Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) and the study’s lead author, said: “Studying the past teaches us how today is different. The rate of CO2 change today really is unprecedented.

“Our research identified the fastest rates of past natural CO2 rise ever observed, and the rate occurring today, largely driven by human emissions, is 10 times higher.”

Ice that built up in the Antarctic over hundreds of thousands of years includes ancient atmospheric gasses trapped in air bubbles.

Scientists used samples of ice, collected by drilling cores up to two miles deep to analyse the trace chemicals and build records of the climate in the past.

The US National Science Foundation supported the ice core drilling and the chemical analysis used in the study.

Previous research showed that during the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, there were several periods where carbon dioxide levels appeared to jump much higher than the average, but the measurements were not detailed enough to reveal the full nature of the rapid changes, limiting scientists’ ability to understand what was occurring.

Dr Wendt said: “You probably wouldn’t expect to see that in the dead of the last ice age.

“But our interest was piqued, and we wanted to go back to those periods and conduct measurements at greater detail to find out what was happening.”

Using samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core, Dr Wendt and colleagues investigated what was occurring during those periods, and identified a pattern that showed the jumps in carbon dioxide occurred alongside North Atlantic cold intervals known as Heinrich Events that are associated with abrupt climate shifts around the world.

Christo Buizert, an associate professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, and co-author of the study, said: “These Heinrich Events are truly remarkable. We think they are caused by a dramatic collapse of the North American ice sheet.

“This sets into motion a chain reaction that involves changes to the tropical monsoons, the Southern hemisphere westerly winds and these large burps of CO2 coming out of the oceans.”

Dr James Rae, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and co-author of the study, said: “These Heinrich Events kick off an astonishing sequence of rapid shifts in climate around the world. They start with a weakening of the North Atlantic’s circulation system, which causes rapid cooling in NW Europe, sea ice expansion from Scotland to New York, and disruption to tropical monsoons.

“Our paper shows they also change winds and circulation in the ocean round Antarctica, which belches out CO2.”

During the largest of the natural rises, carbon dioxide increased by about 14 parts per million in 55 years, and the jumps occurred about once every 7,000 years or so – compared to current rates, when that magnitude of increase takes only five to six years.

Evidence suggests that during past periods of natural carbon dioxide rise, the westerly winds that play an important role in the circulation of the deep ocean were also strengthening, leading to a rapid release of CO2 from the Southern Ocean.

Other research has suggested that these westerlies will strengthen over the next century due to climate change.

The findings suggest that if that occurs, it will reduce the Southern Ocean’s capacity to absorb human-generated carbon dioxide, the researchers noted.

Dr Wendt said: “We rely on the Southern Ocean to take up part of the carbon dioxide we emit, but rapidly increasing southerly winds weaken its ability to do so.”

Researchers identify fastest rate of natural carbon dioxide rise over the last 50,000 years

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: 

A SLICE FROM AN ANTARCTIC ICE CORE. RESEARCHERS STUDY THE CHEMICALS TRAPPED IN OLD ICE TO LEARN ABOUT PAST CLIMATE. 

view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO BY KATHERINE STELLING, OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Today’s rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice.

The findings, just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provide important new understanding of abrupt climate change periods in Earth’s past and offer new insight into the potential impacts of climate change today.

“Studying the past teaches us how today is different. The rate of CO2 change today really is unprecedented,” said Kathleen Wendt, an assistant professor in Oregon State University’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and the study’s lead author.

“Our research identified the fastest rates of past natural CO2 rise ever observed, and the rate occurring today, largely driven by human emissions, is 10 times higher.”

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a greenhouse gas that occurs naturally in the atmosphere. When carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, it contributes to warming of the climate due to the greenhouse effect. In the past, the levels have fluctuated due to ice age cycles and other natural causes, but today they are rising because of human emissions.

Ice that built up in Antarctic over hundreds of thousands of years includes ancient atmospheric gasses trapped in air bubbles. Scientists use samples of that ice, collected by drilling cores up to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) deep, to analyze the trace chemicals and build records of past climate. The U.S. National Science Foundation supported the ice core drilling and the chemical analysis used in the study.

Previous research showed that during the last ice age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, there were several periods where carbon dioxide levels appeared to jump much higher than the average. But those measurements were not detailed enough to reveal the full nature of the rapid changes, limiting scientists’ ability to understand what was occurring, Wendt said.

“You probably wouldn’t expect to see that in the dead of the last ice age,” she said. “But our interest was piqued, and we wanted to go back to those periods and conduct measurements at greater detail to find out what was happening.”

Using samples from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core, Wendt and colleagues investigated what was occurring during those periods. They identified a pattern that showed that these jumps in carbon dioxide occurred alongside North Atlantic cold intervals known as Heinrich Events that are associated with abrupt climate shifts around the world.

“These Heinrich Events are truly remarkable,” said Christo Buizert, an associate professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and co-author of the study. “We think they are caused by a dramatic collapse of the North American ice sheet. This sets into motion a chain reaction that involves changes to the tropical monsoons, the Southern hemisphere westerly winds and these large burps of CO2 coming out of the oceans.”

During the largest of the natural rises, carbon dioxide increased by about 14 parts per million in 55 years. And the jumps occurred about once every 7,000 years or so. At today’s rates, that magnitude of increase takes only 5 to 6 years.

Evidence suggests that during past periods of natural carbon dioxide rise, the westerly winds that play an important role in the circulation of the deep ocean were also strengthening, leading to a rapid release of CO2 from the Southern Ocean.

Other research has suggested that these westerlies will strengthen over the next century due to climate change. The new findings suggest that if that occurs, it will reduce the Southern Ocean’s capacity to absorb human-generated carbon dioxide, the researchers noted.

“We rely on the Southern Ocean to take up part of the carbon dioxide we emit, but rapidly increasing southerly winds weaken its ability to do so,” Wendt said.

Additional coauthors include Ed Brook, Kyle Niezgoda and Michael Kalk of Oregon State; Christoph Nehrbass-Ahles of the University of Bern in Switzerland and the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom; Thomas Stocker, Jochen Schmitt and Hubertus Fischer of the University of Bern; Laurie Menviel of the University of New South Wales in Australia; James Rae of the University of St. Andrews in the United Kingdom; Juan Muglia of Argentina; David Ferreira of the University of Reading in the United Kingdom and Shaun Marcott of University of Wisconsin-Madison.

---

JOURNAL

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2319652121 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Southern Ocean drives multidecadal atmospheric CO2 rise during Heinrich Stadials

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

13-May-2024

Surprising Rising Seas “Must Reads”

by Robert Hunziker / May 10th, 2024

Sea levels are surging along the US coastline, exceeding 30-year expectations. Scientists are confused, concerned, searching for answers.

In that regard, an excellent new series by The Washington Post d/d April 29th, 2024, “Must Reads” is an eye-opening view into the impact of global warming in real time with real people and real images. For example, it’s a quick fix for anybody who doubts human-caused climate change influence on sea level rise. It’s real; it’s happening now; it should be required reading for America’s Congressional climate deniers.

And required reading for 50 million Americans who do not believe in climate change/global warming, according to a new University of Michigan study. Meanwhile a diametrically opposing viewpoint: “Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for humanity, poll of hundreds of scientists finds.” (Source: “World’s Top Climate Scientists Expect Global Heating to Blast Past 1.5C Target”, The Guardian, May 8, 2024.)

As a prelude to the 2024 elections, it should be noted: “When former President Donald Trump exited the Oval Office in January 2021, he left behind a record of environmental roll backs unrivaled in U.S. History.” Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 playbook will do more: “MAGA Republicans Have a 920-Page Plan to Make Climate Change Worse”, Heatmap News, February 15, 2024.

Here’s the opening tickler for the thought-provoking “Must Reads” series: “This past week, The Post published the first two pieces in a new series showcasing an alarming phenomenon confronting tens of millions of Americans from Texas to North Carolina: The ocean is rising across the South faster than almost anywhere. In some communities, roads increasingly are falling below the highest tides, leaving drivers stuck in repeated delays or forcing them to slog through salt water to reach homes, schools, work, and places of worship. Researchers and public officials fear that in certain places, rising waters could periodically cut off residents from essential services such as medical aid.”

A 2023 Scientific American article: “U.S. Seas Are Rising at Triple the Global Average” conforms to the inescapable conclusion of a need for sirens and flashing red lights to signal the dangers imbedded in Must Reads: “Sea levels have surged along the coastlines of the southeastern United States, new research finds — hitting some of their highest rates in more than a century… the effect on communities near the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean already are being observed.”

Alarmingly, sea-level rise of the Southeast and the Gulf already exceed scientific models projected for the next 30 years, prompting a mad scramble by scientists looking for answers to why sea levels are 30 years ahead of schedule. Nobody is braced for this happening so fast.

“The recent Journal of Climate study suggested that the increase may be driven by changes in a warm-water current passing through the Gulf of Mexico. And these changes may in turn be fueled by a recent slowdown in a major Atlantic Ocean current, driven by human-caused climate change.” (Ibid.)

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -NOAA– high-tide flooding along the Gulf and East coasts has increased considerably: High-tide flooding days are up 400% in the Southeast and 1,100% in the Gulf since 2000. It’s no wonder that property insurance premiums are spiking, and shorelines are slipping. It’s real; it’s happening now.

Solutions: Adapt to Sea Levels and Mitigate CO2 to Avoid Worst-Case

What to do: According to Sönke Dangendorf, an expert in coastal engineering at Tulane University and lead author of the new study: “We need to prepare for that: we need to adapt.” (Ibid.)

A new study authored by Lily Roberts at State of the Planet, Columbia Climate School, “Increase in West Antarctica Ice Sheet Melting Inevitable in 21st Century” d/d January 26, 2024, emphasizes the necessity for adaptation measures to combat sea level rise: “The new findings paint a grave picture for the state of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. We may now have limited capacity to stop ice-shelf collapse in the region and prevent meters of global sea-level rise. Experts are warning that policymakers should consider adaptation to sea-level rise a primary concern, as the window to safeguard the ice sheet from irreversible damage has probably now passed…. This new research paints a more realistic picture for the fate of Antarctic ice shelves and highlights the necessity for continued mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the worst-case ocean warming scenario, as well as the urgent need for prioritization of adaptation to global sea-level rise.”

Adapting to rising sea levels entails moving physical structures away from coastal areas exposed to loss of shorelines and building massive sea walls, begging the all-important question of whether it’s already too late to stop, full stop, greenhouse gas CO2 emissions produced by oil and gas companies, which, in turn, causes global warming and sea level rise. What to do and how soon to do it is a nagging issue that requires immediate attention at the highest levels. Unless, of course, people simply don’t give a damn and let the chips fall where they may, aka: “avoidance coping.”

Furthermore, compounding the issue for the US, it’s not only the Southeastern and Gulf coasts, but also happening in Maine: “What were once distant projections on TV and in newspapers have now made it to the doorsteps of thousands of coastal residents in Maine: sea levels are rising at an alarming rate, with some areas in the state experiencing water levels eight inches higher than what they were in 1950. Estimates show that sea level rise will only continue to accelerate in coming decades.” (Source: “Manomet Awarded New Funding To Study Sea Level Rise Impacts On Maine’s Coastal Communities”, The Manomet Team, January 25, 2023).

Humanity is smack dab in the early stages of a man-made climate crisis that’s just now starting to strut its stuff in open public The question remains whether a self-induced climate crisis can be self-reduced, but in all honesty and by all appearances, world leadership prefers to continue playing Russian roulette with a single round of fossil fuels. CO2 emissions are 76% of greenhouse gases that cause overheating of the planet, and CO2’s primary source is oil and gas production, which clearly presents the dilemma of all dilemmas.

What to do? And when is it too late? And is it possible to live without oil and gas production?

Humanity did live without oil and gas production for thousands of years pre-Colonel Drake’s heralded discovery of oil in Pennsylvania in 1859 (world population 1.2 billion at the time) that set the stage for a new oil economy. Going forward, can an overcrowding 8.1 billion world civilization exist without oil and gas production, and more importantly, can 8.1B survive with it?

It’s notable that climate scientists say halting CO2 emissions will slow the rate of increase of planetary heat. Thus, things can be done to alleviate the impact of global warming so that it’s not as horribly bad as it is without any mitigation whatsoever. Less horrible is good.

Meanwhile… HOUSTON — “Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said Monday that the energy transition is failing, and policymakers should abandon the ‘fantasy’ of phasing out oil and gas, as demand for fossil fuels is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.” (Source: “Saudi Aramco CEO Says Energy Transition is Failing, World Should Abandon ‘Fantasy’ of Phasing Out Oil”, CNBC News, March 18, 2024).

Really? Seriously? Amin who?

Because international oil and gas interests plan on increasing production, by a lot, which is accepted by world leaders with open arms, there’s no stopping a sure-fire rapid rate of sea level never witnessed before. The Global Oil and Gas Tracker claims: “Fourfold Increase in New Oil and Gas Fields to Push Climate Further From 1.5°C Pathway”.

Assuming all-above plays out as described, meaning oil and gas producers pump full-blast like psychopaths with a death wish, the only option left is building massive sea walls, re-introducing medieval fortifications throughout the world, a throwback to the 5th-14th centuries when horse-drawn four-wheeled carts and walking were the modes of transportation, thereby establishing Net Zero once and for all.

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Robert Hunziker (MA, economic history, DePaul University) is a freelance writer and environmental journalist whose articles have been translated into foreign languages and appeared in over 50 journals, magazines, and sites worldwide. He can be contacted at: rlhunziker@gmail.com. Read other articles by Robert.

Japan's New Whaling Ship Raises Concerns for Conservationists

Kangei Maru's predecessor, Nisshin Maru (File image courtesy Australian Customs and Border Protection Service)

PUBLISHED MAY 5, 2024 6:23 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Japanese whaling industry has gained more capacity with the launch of Kangei Maru, a new whaling mother ship that can process tons of whale meat at sea. The vessel is now the world’s only whaling fleet mother ship, owned by Tokyo-based seafood company Kyodo Senpaku.

The ship is replacing Nisshin Maru, which Kyodo Senpaku retired in November after decades of whaling operations. The vessel became infamous for its whale hunting expeditions in the Antarctic Ocean, which led to frequent clashes with environmental groups.

With the launch of the more sophisticated Kangei Maru, some environmental campaigners have said this could be a hint to Japan’s commitment in expanding whaling in its waters and probably beyond in the Southern Ocean. Built at a cost of $47 million, the 9,300-ton Kangei Maru has a slipway to haul up to 70- ton fin whales, and can store up to 600 tons of meat. This is almost double that of its predecessor and thus, the vessel could remain at sea for longer periods. According to Kyodo Senpaku, the vessel can sail for a range of over 8000 miles.

During this month, Kangei Maru is scheduled to leave its home port of Shimonoseki for an eight-month maiden voyage off the north-east coast of Japan. However, the government has set a catch limit of 379 whales for this year within Japan’s EEZ, including a cap of 167 for minke whales, 187 for Bryde’s and 25 for Sei whales. According to some analysts, this is a relatively small quota for a large vessel such as Kangei Maru, fueling concerns that it might be forced to expand the scope of operation into Antarctica.

Japanese government maintains that it only allows commercial whaling within the territorial sea and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The launch of the new mothership coincides with Kyodo Senpaku’s campaign to boost whale consumption in Japan. Early this year, the company opened two whale meat stores in Tokyo, a move aimed at reviving the shrinking market for whale-related foods. Whale meat was once a staple source of protein in Japanese culture, but consumption began to decline with increased imports of pork, chicken and beef.

As of 2021, only 1,000 tons of whale meat was consumed in Japan from a high of over 200,000 tons in 1962, according to data by Japan’s ministry of fisheries and agriculture.

Meanwhile, the ocean conservation group Captain Paul Watson Foundation has announced that it is acquiring a new vessel, the Bandero, aimed at combating illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean. The organization said that it is responding to the launch of Kangei Maru, and asserted that the new Japanese ship was designed with ability to reach Antarctica.

“If Japan cancels their plans to return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, our foundation will target the destructive Krill fishery in the Southern Ocean,” said Omar Todd, CEO of the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

Japan ended its Antarctica whaling program in 2018 following an order from the international court of justice. In the same year, Japan also withdrew its membership from the International Whaling Commission, the global body that regulates whaling.  

MBtv: ‘No second planet’ – Colombian mission to Antarctica analyzes climate change footprints

May 6, 2024

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Colombia’s 10th Antarctic Expedition made its way to the far reaches of the continent, exploring remote and almost untouched places inhabited by penguins, whales and the occasional seal.