The all-purpose heavy duty Climate Chaos thread (sprinkled with hope).

brianlux said:

Whether or nor you are a Bernie fan or not isn't important here (personally, I'm mixed, good, not always so good).  But what he said in his letter today is spot on.  Not everyone will agree with Sanders here, some will make lame arguments, but anyone with half a brain, a basic understanding of how science works, and a modicum of observation skills knows this is true:

"In America today, large and devastating wildfires that were once relatively uncommon have become an increasingly common occurrence.

In California, five of the largest wildfires in the history of the state have happened in the last five years. And, as you read this, one of the most destructive wildfires the state has ever seen is taking place in Los Angeles. That fire is still going, and with high-winds in the forecast today and tomorrow, this horrific level of destruction is far from over.

And we have not even entered the so-called "fire season."

8 months without rain. 24 people dead. 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. 150,000 people evacuated. $150 billion in damages.

Overall, the wildfires have burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than Paris.

The frightening reality is: what we're seeing in Los Angeles today, unless we fundamentally change our energy policies, is likely what we will see in the future in the United States and throughout the world. There is no more "fire season." Not in America. Not anywhere.

What we are watching on the news in California is precisely what we mean when we talk about the "existential threat" of climate change.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of Southern California is in either moderate or severe drought. It is the second-driest period in almost 150 years. Combine that with hurricane force winds — winds that blow embers and carry fire; winds so strong it makes it difficult to fight those fires from the air — and you have a recipe for disaster.

It is extremely dangerous that Republicans in Washington and California are politicizing this issue and attacking Democratic officeholders.

This is Trumpism at its worst. And is nothing more than an effort to distract attention away from the underlying cause of this crisis.

No, President-elect Trump, climate change is not a "hoax." It is all too real. It is playing out now in Los Angeles.

It was not government incompetence that caused recent wildfires to blaze through Republican states like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.

It was not government incompetence when Hurricane Helene caused 219 deaths and almost $80 billion dollars of damage in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

It was not government incompetence when devastating tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

No. All of this, as well as drought, the warming of our oceans, the melting of the Arctic ice caps, the heat waves throughout the world, are directly related to the fact that the last ten years have been the warmest ten years ever recorded.

Climate change does not care if you live in a "red state," a "blue state" or a "purple state." It does not care if you live in a rural area or urban area. It does not care if you are a working class person struggling to get by or live in a multi-million dollar home in the Pacific Palisades.

Climate change is what we are talking about when we are talking about more floods, more extreme weather, more ocean acidification, more drought, more famine, more disease, more mass migration, and more human suffering.

And for Republicans who like to whine and moan about the deficit and the debt, climate change is what we are talking about when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the cost of climate disasters has cost the United States almost $3 trillion since 1980.

And, unless we have the courage to take on the greed, lies and irresponsibility of the fossil fuel industry, the worst is yet to come.

We have a fundamental choice to make. We can listen to the fossil fuel industry, the climate deniers and their representatives on Capitol Hill, and ignore the reality of climate change.

Or, we can listen to the scientists who have made it abundantly clear that we must act boldly and aggressively to prevent a climate catastrophe, to prevent what is happening in Los Angeles today from becoming an everyday occurrence.

In my view, we have spent far too long and wasted too much time discussing whether or not climate change is real. This debate was not driven by science but by a decades-long campaign of lies, distortion and deceit funded by the fossil fuel industry.

And to do that, we need to send a message to people across this country — in so-called “red states,” “blue states,” and “purple states” — that a changing climate impacts us all.

Bottom line: we must bring the global community together to act aggressively to protect humankind. Nothing less than the habitability of our planet for future generations is at stake.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders"

Lerxst1992 said:

brianlux said:

Whether or nor you are a Bernie fan or not isn't important here (personally, I'm mixed, good, not always so good).  But what he said in his letter today is spot on.  Not everyone will agree with Sanders here, some will make lame arguments, but anyone with half a brain, a basic understanding of how science works, and a modicum of observation skills knows this is true:

"In America today, large and devastating wildfires that were once relatively uncommon have become an increasingly common occurrence.

In California, five of the largest wildfires in the history of the state have happened in the last five years. And, as you read this, one of the most destructive wildfires the state has ever seen is taking place in Los Angeles. That fire is still going, and with high-winds in the forecast today and tomorrow, this horrific level of destruction is far from over.

And we have not even entered the so-called "fire season."

8 months without rain. 24 people dead. 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. 150,000 people evacuated. $150 billion in damages.

Overall, the wildfires have burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than Paris.

The frightening reality is: what we're seeing in Los Angeles today, unless we fundamentally change our energy policies, is likely what we will see in the future in the United States and throughout the world. There is no more "fire season." Not in America. Not anywhere.

What we are watching on the news in California is precisely what we mean when we talk about the "existential threat" of climate change.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of Southern California is in either moderate or severe drought. It is the second-driest period in almost 150 years. Combine that with hurricane force winds — winds that blow embers and carry fire; winds so strong it makes it difficult to fight those fires from the air — and you have a recipe for disaster.

It is extremely dangerous that Republicans in Washington and California are politicizing this issue and attacking Democratic officeholders.

This is Trumpism at its worst. And is nothing more than an effort to distract attention away from the underlying cause of this crisis.

No, President-elect Trump, climate change is not a "hoax." It is all too real. It is playing out now in Los Angeles.

It was not government incompetence that caused recent wildfires to blaze through Republican states like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.

It was not government incompetence when Hurricane Helene caused 219 deaths and almost $80 billion dollars of damage in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

It was not government incompetence when devastating tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

No. All of this, as well as drought, the warming of our oceans, the melting of the Arctic ice caps, the heat waves throughout the world, are directly related to the fact that the last ten years have been the warmest ten years ever recorded.

Climate change does not care if you live in a "red state," a "blue state" or a "purple state." It does not care if you live in a rural area or urban area. It does not care if you are a working class person struggling to get by or live in a multi-million dollar home in the Pacific Palisades.

Climate change is what we are talking about when we are talking about more floods, more extreme weather, more ocean acidification, more drought, more famine, more disease, more mass migration, and more human suffering.

And for Republicans who like to whine and moan about the deficit and the debt, climate change is what we are talking about when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the cost of climate disasters has cost the United States almost $3 trillion since 1980.

And, unless we have the courage to take on the greed, lies and irresponsibility of the fossil fuel industry, the worst is yet to come.

We have a fundamental choice to make. We can listen to the fossil fuel industry, the climate deniers and their representatives on Capitol Hill, and ignore the reality of climate change.

Or, we can listen to the scientists who have made it abundantly clear that we must act boldly and aggressively to prevent a climate catastrophe, to prevent what is happening in Los Angeles today from becoming an everyday occurrence.

In my view, we have spent far too long and wasted too much time discussing whether or not climate change is real. This debate was not driven by science but by a decades-long campaign of lies, distortion and deceit funded by the fossil fuel industry.

And to do that, we need to send a message to people across this country — in so-called “red states,” “blue states,” and “purple states” — that a changing climate impacts us all.

Bottom line: we must bring the global community together to act aggressively to protect humankind. Nothing less than the habitability of our planet for future generations is at stake.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders"

Perfect comment Brian, you should be President.

When it’s a red state crisis, democrats are accused of diverting funds to immigrants.

when the crisis is in a blue state, democrats get blamed for causing the catastrophe. They need to rake the leaves and stop appointing LGBTs to run the fire depts.

when Democrats try to point out the inequity, independents claim “it’s both sides, both sides are to blame for the political discourse ”

brianlux said:

Lerxst1992 said:

brianlux said:

Whether or nor you are a Bernie fan or not isn't important here (personally, I'm mixed, good, not always so good).  But what he said in his letter today is spot on.  Not everyone will agree with Sanders here, some will make lame arguments, but anyone with half a brain, a basic understanding of how science works, and a modicum of observation skills knows this is true:

"In America today, large and devastating wildfires that were once relatively uncommon have become an increasingly common occurrence.

In California, five of the largest wildfires in the history of the state have happened in the last five years. And, as you read this, one of the most destructive wildfires the state has ever seen is taking place in Los Angeles. That fire is still going, and with high-winds in the forecast today and tomorrow, this horrific level of destruction is far from over.

And we have not even entered the so-called "fire season."

8 months without rain. 24 people dead. 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. 150,000 people evacuated. $150 billion in damages.

Overall, the wildfires have burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than Paris.

The frightening reality is: what we're seeing in Los Angeles today, unless we fundamentally change our energy policies, is likely what we will see in the future in the United States and throughout the world. There is no more "fire season." Not in America. Not anywhere.

What we are watching on the news in California is precisely what we mean when we talk about the "existential threat" of climate change.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of Southern California is in either moderate or severe drought. It is the second-driest period in almost 150 years. Combine that with hurricane force winds — winds that blow embers and carry fire; winds so strong it makes it difficult to fight those fires from the air — and you have a recipe for disaster.

It is extremely dangerous that Republicans in Washington and California are politicizing this issue and attacking Democratic officeholders.

This is Trumpism at its worst. And is nothing more than an effort to distract attention away from the underlying cause of this crisis.

No, President-elect Trump, climate change is not a "hoax." It is all too real. It is playing out now in Los Angeles.

It was not government incompetence that caused recent wildfires to blaze through Republican states like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.

It was not government incompetence when Hurricane Helene caused 219 deaths and almost $80 billion dollars of damage in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

It was not government incompetence when devastating tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

No. All of this, as well as drought, the warming of our oceans, the melting of the Arctic ice caps, the heat waves throughout the world, are directly related to the fact that the last ten years have been the warmest ten years ever recorded.

Climate change does not care if you live in a "red state," a "blue state" or a "purple state." It does not care if you live in a rural area or urban area. It does not care if you are a working class person struggling to get by or live in a multi-million dollar home in the Pacific Palisades.

Climate change is what we are talking about when we are talking about more floods, more extreme weather, more ocean acidification, more drought, more famine, more disease, more mass migration, and more human suffering.

And for Republicans who like to whine and moan about the deficit and the debt, climate change is what we are talking about when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the cost of climate disasters has cost the United States almost $3 trillion since 1980.

And, unless we have the courage to take on the greed, lies and irresponsibility of the fossil fuel industry, the worst is yet to come.

We have a fundamental choice to make. We can listen to the fossil fuel industry, the climate deniers and their representatives on Capitol Hill, and ignore the reality of climate change.

Or, we can listen to the scientists who have made it abundantly clear that we must act boldly and aggressively to prevent a climate catastrophe, to prevent what is happening in Los Angeles today from becoming an everyday occurrence.

In my view, we have spent far too long and wasted too much time discussing whether or not climate change is real. This debate was not driven by science but by a decades-long campaign of lies, distortion and deceit funded by the fossil fuel industry.

And to do that, we need to send a message to people across this country — in so-called “red states,” “blue states,” and “purple states” — that a changing climate impacts us all.

Bottom line: we must bring the global community together to act aggressively to protect humankind. Nothing less than the habitability of our planet for future generations is at stake.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders"

Perfect comment Brian, you should be President.

When it’s a red state crisis, democrats are accused of diverting funds to immigrants.

when the crisis is in a blue state, democrats get blamed for causing the catastrophe. They need to rake the leaves and stop appointing LGBTs to run the fire depts.

when Democrats try to point out the inequity, independents claim “it’s both sides, both sides are to blame for the political discourse ”

President Lux?  Nah, sounds like a Psychedelic Furs song or something.          

Your statement is right on the money as well, maybe better!

mickeyrat said:

Lerxst1992 said:

brianlux said:

Whether or nor you are a Bernie fan or not isn't important here (personally, I'm mixed, good, not always so good).  But what he said in his letter today is spot on.  Not everyone will agree with Sanders here, some will make lame arguments, but anyone with half a brain, a basic understanding of how science works, and a modicum of observation skills knows this is true:

"In America today, large and devastating wildfires that were once relatively uncommon have become an increasingly common occurrence.

In California, five of the largest wildfires in the history of the state have happened in the last five years. And, as you read this, one of the most destructive wildfires the state has ever seen is taking place in Los Angeles. That fire is still going, and with high-winds in the forecast today and tomorrow, this horrific level of destruction is far from over.

And we have not even entered the so-called "fire season."

8 months without rain. 24 people dead. 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. 150,000 people evacuated. $150 billion in damages.

Overall, the wildfires have burned about 62 square miles, an area larger than Paris.

The frightening reality is: what we're seeing in Los Angeles today, unless we fundamentally change our energy policies, is likely what we will see in the future in the United States and throughout the world. There is no more "fire season." Not in America. Not anywhere.

What we are watching on the news in California is precisely what we mean when we talk about the "existential threat" of climate change.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, almost all of Southern California is in either moderate or severe drought. It is the second-driest period in almost 150 years. Combine that with hurricane force winds — winds that blow embers and carry fire; winds so strong it makes it difficult to fight those fires from the air — and you have a recipe for disaster.

It is extremely dangerous that Republicans in Washington and California are politicizing this issue and attacking Democratic officeholders.

This is Trumpism at its worst. And is nothing more than an effort to distract attention away from the underlying cause of this crisis.

No, President-elect Trump, climate change is not a "hoax." It is all too real. It is playing out now in Los Angeles.

It was not government incompetence that caused recent wildfires to blaze through Republican states like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah.

It was not government incompetence when Hurricane Helene caused 219 deaths and almost $80 billion dollars of damage in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

It was not government incompetence when devastating tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

No. All of this, as well as drought, the warming of our oceans, the melting of the Arctic ice caps, the heat waves throughout the world, are directly related to the fact that the last ten years have been the warmest ten years ever recorded.

Climate change does not care if you live in a "red state," a "blue state" or a "purple state." It does not care if you live in a rural area or urban area. It does not care if you are a working class person struggling to get by or live in a multi-million dollar home in the Pacific Palisades.

Climate change is what we are talking about when we are talking about more floods, more extreme weather, more ocean acidification, more drought, more famine, more disease, more mass migration, and more human suffering.

And for Republicans who like to whine and moan about the deficit and the debt, climate change is what we are talking about when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the cost of climate disasters has cost the United States almost $3 trillion since 1980.

And, unless we have the courage to take on the greed, lies and irresponsibility of the fossil fuel industry, the worst is yet to come.

We have a fundamental choice to make. We can listen to the fossil fuel industry, the climate deniers and their representatives on Capitol Hill, and ignore the reality of climate change.

Or, we can listen to the scientists who have made it abundantly clear that we must act boldly and aggressively to prevent a climate catastrophe, to prevent what is happening in Los Angeles today from becoming an everyday occurrence.

In my view, we have spent far too long and wasted too much time discussing whether or not climate change is real. This debate was not driven by science but by a decades-long campaign of lies, distortion and deceit funded by the fossil fuel industry.

And to do that, we need to send a message to people across this country — in so-called “red states,” “blue states,” and “purple states” — that a changing climate impacts us all.

Bottom line: we must bring the global community together to act aggressively to protect humankind. Nothing less than the habitability of our planet for future generations is at stake.

In solidarity,

Bernie Sanders"

Perfect comment Brian, you should be President.

When it’s a red state crisis, democrats are accused of diverting funds to immigrants.

when the crisis is in a blue state, democrats get blamed for causing the catastrophe. They need to rake the leaves and stop appointing LGBTs to run the fire depts.

when Democrats try to point out the inequity, independents claim “it’s both sides, both sides are to blame for the political discourse ”

independents conveniently leaving themselves out of the conversation on that given independents are a plurality.....

Yep!

brianlux said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Whales be getting hungry, yo.

https://apnews.com/article/chile-kayaking-tourism-whale-b0cafde4b640326f20a9da28003d6c26

A story of Biblical proportions, lol!