Really extreme' global weather event leaves scientists aghast

Are we not frightened? Are we unaware? Are we asleed at thhe wheel? Or are we stipid.

Climate scientists are used to seeing the range of weather extremes stretched by global warming but few episodes appear as remarkable as this week's unusual heat over the Arctic.

Zack Labe, a researcher at the University of California at Irvine, said average daily temperatures above the northern latitude of 80 degrees have broken away from any previous recordings in the past 60 years.

"To have zero degrees at the North Pole in February - it's just wrong," said Amelie Meyer, a researcher of ice-ocean interactions with the Norwegian Polar Institute. "It's quite worrying." Read More

A major win for Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

A major win for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) who doggedly pursued this at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) board for years. Now, countries and #communities big and small are, justifiably, lining up to use this funding for small projects. #smallislands #climateaction #SDGs
#GCFund B.19 Board approval for first Simplified Approval Process project SAP001 with EIF Namibia @Green_Viewpoint

Conservation group in Seychelles launches coral nursery on land

In the Seychelles a Community, an Environmental NGO, a Hotel and a Bank come together in a Public Private Partnership to save coral reefs.

A conservation group from Anse Forbans has launched the first on-land coral nursery project to educate the community and act as a backup plan in case of a major seawater warming effect in Seychelles.

The chairperson of the Anse Forbans Community Conservation Programme, Lisa Booyse, said that Seychelles needs to be prepared as it is fast losing its corals to coral bleaching events and other issues such as human destruction, anchorage and marine pollution.

“It is essential that we maintain our corals for our livelihoods, fish stock and to protect our beaches from erosion and flooding. As a community, we all need to start to realise the situation,” said Booyse.

The project launched last week is an initiative of the Anse Forbans not-for-profit group from the southern Mahe district of Takamaka, in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society Seychelles, DoubleTree Resort and Spa, and the Mauritius Commercial Bank. Read More

Sea Level Stakes for the Caribbean, in Pictures

Long-term sea level rise set in motion by near-term carbon emissions threatens major coastal cities across the world. Science-based imagery helps show the stakes for the Caribbean.

The first image in each pair below shows projections of post-2100 sea level rise that could be locked in following 4°C (7.2°F) of warming from carbon pollution. This pathway corresponds roughly to business as usual. The second image in each pair shows projections based on 2°C (3.6°F) of warming, corresponding to the upper limit target named in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.

Agreement implementation will determine which of these two scenarios the future looks like most.

The projections behind these images come from peer-reviewed research, and a special report describes how these findings are translated into global maps, viewable at Mapping Choices. Maps and imagery for the Caribbean are based on Climate Central's CoastalDEM™ version 1.1, a special high-accuracy elevation dataset that improves over the data originally used.

The images on this page were created by visual artist Nickolay Lamm based on Climate Central’s maps and elevation data, with support from the Inter-American Development Bank. Images for other global locations are available here.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/sea-level-stakes-for-the-caribbean-in-pictures-21770

Ibiza and Majorca plan for 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050

Ibiza and Majorca could be running on 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050, under plans unveiled by the islands’ government yesterday.

The proposed climate change law would make the islands some of the greenest in the world but could also pave the way for clashes with Madrid.

The Balearics generate less than 3 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources at present, primarily from solar panels. Coal-fired power plants, diesel generators and gas plants account for more than 70 per cent of supply, while most of the rest is imported from the mainland.

The plan would involve a phased shutdown of the islands’ main coal plant, at Alcúdia on Majorca, between 2020 and 2025, a proposal that has been rejected by the Spanish energy ministry. Joan Groizard, the Balearic islands’ energy director, said the target to move to entirely renewable energy would mean the islands needed to achieve “100 per cent renewable electricity long before 2050”.

Large car parks would have to install solar panels by 2025. By 2035, car hire companies would be forced to electrify their entire fleets and new non-electric vehicles would be banned from entering the islands.

Mr Groizard said he hoped that the law would help the islands “be recognised as a low-carbon destination, where the rest of Europe can not only enjoy a holiday but also learn something they can then apply to their own energy transitions”.

Sam Fankhauser, director of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, said: “Going 100 per cent renewable by 2050 is a much more aggressive target for the power sector than most other countries have.”

Britain is aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent compared with 1990 levels by 2050.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ibiza-and-majorca-plan-for-100-per-cent-renewable-energy-by-2050-gp6dpzptl

Innovative Restoration of Coral Reefs Helps Protect Caribbean Islands

The catastrophic 2017 hurricane season provided ample demonstrations of the increasing vulnerability of Caribbean populations and infrastructure to natural disasters. Researchers at UC Santa Cruz and the Nature Conservancy have now measured the protective role of coral reefs and field-tested a solution that reduces coastal risks by combining innovative engineering with restoration ecology.

Working in Grenville Bay, Grenada, the researchers showed that degradation of coral reefs is directly linked to shoreline erosion and coastal flooding in parts of the bay. The study, published February 1 in the Journal of Environmental Management, also evaluates one of the first uses of reef restoration as natural infrastructure specifically designed to reduce risks to people and property.

Investigating the link between healthy reefs and shoreline stability, the researchers found that Grenville's healthy reefs keep more than half of the bay's coastline intact by reducing the wave energy arriving on shore. In contrast, severe reef degradation is linked with chronic coastal erosion in the northern section of the bay, where the shoreline is disappearing at a rate of nearly two feet every year.

In an attempt to adapt, villagers have built makeshift barriers with tires and driftwood to slow the erosion threatening their homes, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. The reef restoration project was designed to enhance both the ecological functions of natural reef habitat and its protective effects.

"We are able to apply coastal engineering tools and models to support reef science and management. Ours is one of the first studies to directly show with evidence from the field sites and engineering models the impacts of reef loss on shorelines," said lead author Borja Reguero, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences at UC Santa Cruz. Read More

YOUNG WATER LEADERS CONFERENCE BERLIN: NOV 7, 2018

Welcome to the Young Water Leaders Berlin Event which connects current leaders with future leaders to ensure a water-secure world for today’s and future generations.

Young Water ​Leaders was ​launched in ​September 2017 ​to connect ​current leaders ​with future ​leaders. ​

Young Water ​Leaders Berlin ​is the first ​major event to ​bring current ​and future ​leaders ​together to ​build a water-​secure world.​ ​

~Robert ​Brears, Author ​of Urban Water ​Security (Wiley)​, Founder of ​Mitidaption, ​Mark and Focus, ​and Young Water ​Leaders . Read More

Plastic Straws and the Cayman Islands

As a maritime nation should we ban plastic drinking straws?

One of the world's leading makers of single-use plastic drinking straws has told Radio 5 Live that the development of more environmentally friendly alternatives is "stuck".
John Sidanta, chief executive of Primaplast, said he was aware of rising global concern over levels of plastic pollution in oceans and landfills.
But he said affordable alternatives had yet to be developed.
At the moment, greener straws cost a hundred times more, he said.
Primaplast manufactures up to 600 million polypropylene plastic straws a month from its base in Tangerang, Indonesia, for markets in Europe and Japan, where they are sold alongside cartons of juice, milkshakes and yoghurt drinks.
Despite a useful life of just minutes, traditional plastic straws cannot degrade once disposed of and Mr Sidanta acknowledges their days are probably numbered.
Some firms are already beginning to curb their use.
The pub chain JD Wetherspoon and Pizza Express have announced plans to phase them out completely, while other firms, such as All Bar One, say they plan to substantially reduce the availability of plastic straws in their branches.
Cornwall may become the first county to ban them from bars and restaurants after a campaign by the group Final Straw Cornwall. Read More
#centre_of_excellence_cayman_islands