Climate Change with Scott Amyx

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. One common factor across developed and developing countries has been the continue rise in the consumption of oil in the transportation sector. In EU, the amount of fuel used for flights and road transport has surged by 4 percent. In the U.S., fossil fuels used in cars rose by 1.4 percent. According to researchers, people are driving bigger petrol and diesel cars such as SUVs, and traveling more than before. UN Secretary General António Guterres at the COP24 climate conference commented, “Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption.” Stay tuned next time to find out the dire warning from the UN climate change report. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. The Fourth National Climate Assessment report suggests that by 2050, the U.S. could see as much as 2.3 additional degrees Fahrenheit of warming. A record-warm year like 2016 would become the norm. By that same year, in a worst case scenario, coral reefs in Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific territories could be bleaching every single year, leading to destruction of the marine ecology in those regions. Key crops such as corn, wheat and soybeans would see declining yields as temperatures rise. Depending on the pace of emissions, Phoenix, Arizona, which experiences about 80 days with over 100 degree temperature in a given year could see between 120 and 150 days of burning temperature every year by the end of the century. Stay tuned next time to find out who is most vulnerable to climate change effects. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. Who will face the most suffering from climate change? Society’s most vulnerable, including lower-income and other marginalized communities according to researchers. In a worst-case climate-change scenario, the Fourth National Climate Assessment finds that labor-related losses by the year 2090 as a result of extreme heat — the kind that makes it difficult to work outdoors or seriously lowers productivity — could amount to an estimated $155 billion annually. Deaths from temperature extremes could take an economic toll of $141 billion per year, while coastal property damage could total $118 billion annually. Stay tuned next time to find out why there is an unmitigated growth of carbon emissions. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. According to a study by the Global Carbon Project, a booming global market for cars helped drive CO2 emissions to an all-time high in 2018. The main factor in the near 3 percent rise has been the increased use of coal in China, driven by government efforts to boost a flagging economy. In 2017, global emissions grew 1.6 percent. The rise in 2018 is estimated to be 2.7 percent globally. The increase would bring fossil fuel and industrial emissions to a record high of 37.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. The growth in emissions is coming from nearly 5 percent increased emissions in China and more than 6 percent in India along with growth in other nations. Emissions by the U.S. grew 3.4 percent in 2018, the biggest increase in 8 years, while EU countries declined by just under 1 percent. Stay tuned next time to find out which sector’s unabated appetite for oil is only rising. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, the report draws a direct connection between the warming atmosphere and the resulting changes that affect our lives, communities, and livelihoods, concluding that the evidence of human-caused climate change is overwhelming and continues to strengthen, that the impacts of climate change are intensifying across the world, and that climate-related threats to our physical, social, and economic well-being are rising. The report finds that the continental U.S. already is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was 100 years ago. The oceans are on average nine inches higher and we are experiencing far worse heat waves than 50 years ago. Stay tuned next time to find out what an additional 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit could mean for us. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. According to a research published in the journal Nature, Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster than in the last 350 years and driving sea levels up around the world. The authors of the study found a 50 percent increase in total ice sheet meltwater runoff vs. the start of the industrial era, and a 30 percent increase since the 20th century. In July 2012, it was so hot in the Arctic that nearly the entire surface of the Greenland ice sheet turned to slush. Scientists have concluded that the hot 2012 summer capped off 20 years of unprecedented increases in meltwater runoff from Greenland. And the melting is speeding up even faster than air temperatures warm. A complete melting of Greenland’s mile-thick ice sheets would dump seven meters or 23 feet of extra water into the world’s ocean. The contributing factors to sea level rise are thermal expansion of the oceans, melting of temperate glaciers, Greenland, and Antarctica. The sea level will not rise uniformly everywhere on Earth. However, coastal and island regions will experience widespread coastal flooding. Further effects are higher storm-surges and more dangerous tsunamis and hurricanes, displacement of populations, loss and degradation of land and damage to coastal cities. Stay tuned next time to learn about the findings from the Fourth National Climate Assessment. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. California had the most destructive and deadliest wildfire season on record with a total of 8,527 fires burning an area of 1.9 million acres, the largest amount of burned acreage recorded in a fire season. The wildfires have caused more than $3.5 billion in damages. 98 civilians and 6 firefighters were killed. Increased fire susceptibility were attributed to increase in dead trees that gave more fuel to burn longer and stronger and compounding atmospheric conditions such as increased temperatures, less rain, and increased dryness that raised wildfire risk. Also since the 1990s, over 43 percent of new residences have been built in wildland-urban interface zones. The wildfires drastically increased air pollutants during the height of the July and August fires. Air quality indexes surpassed 200 in the unhealthy region -- the air so thick with smoke it ranked among the dirtiest in the world and health warnings prompted widespread school closings. Short-term exposure to wildfire can spur a lifetime of asthma, allergy, and chronic lung diseases. Stay tuned next time to find out how quickly sea levels are rising. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. This winter in the East Coast has felt more like a mild Fall rather than a snowy winter. Warmer average temperatures and lots of rain. Some North Carolina residents, for instance, have yet to recover from 2016 Hurricane Mathew when Hurricane Florence in September dumped more than 30 inches of rain. Tens of thousands of homes were flooded. A few weeks later, Hurricane Michael brought even more rain to North Carolina with winds of 155 mph, knocking out power to thousands and causing massive flooding. Hurricane Michael was among the strongest hurricanes on record to strike across the Southeast.   According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA, the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season produced 15 storms (compared to the average 12 storms), including 8 hurricanes of which two -- Florence and Michael -- were Category 4. What was the cause? The Atlantic ocean temperatures warmed up sooner in August and remained warm into September and El Nino didn’t form as the models predicted, which would have a suppressing factor on the season. In September, a tropical cyclone or three simultaneous hurricanes -- Florence, Helene and Isaac -- formed in relatively close proximity and timing in the Atlantic. Central North Atlantic had record-warm ocean temperatures and also record-weak vertical wind shear, contributing to the overall strength of the hurricane season. Stay tuned next time to find out why the West Coast had the deadliest and most destructive wildfires on record. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. What are some of the top causes of stress? Money, relationships, self-image, and traffic. So how can you reduce stress in 2019? ✦ Is your work-life balance out of whack? If you’re working long hours or working in a job that you hate to pay for a bigger house, better car, and more stuff, you will always be stressed. Consider consuming less and living below your means. It has a direct impact to your carbon footprint and your happiness ✦ Relationships take a lot work. Yet, we have so many distractions. We rather spend hours on Instagram, YouTube or Netflix rather than catching up regularly with our loved ones. By allocating more time for our family and friends, we not only reduce our carbon footprint and energy use but strengthen our relationships ✦ Are you not happy with the way you look in the mirror? Consider regular exercise, more walking, and eating a plant-based diet. Not only does it help you to feel and look better but it reduces climage change impact. Even JAY-Z and Beyonce challenge people to adopt a plant-based diet indicating that “We all have a responsiblity.” ✦ Do you hate traffic? Do you find yourself stressed behind the wheel? Take public transportation. It not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, you can destress, relax, and even catch up on sleep. Stay tuned next time as we explore the severity of climate change. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.

This is Scott Amyx with today’s Climate Change Flash Briefing. How does spending more time with family and friends help fight climate change? ✦ Quality time with family and friends generally mean that we are using less energy -- unplugging from our phones, TVs, computers, and other electronics ✦ Traveling together. Instead of driving alone, we’re sharing time with loved ones by carpooling, taking public transportation or walking and sightseeing ✦ We are likely to consume less, waste less, and enjoy life more. Instead of obsessing over shopping, it helps us to focus on life’s simple pleasures such as spending time in nature, being with loved ones or making a difference for others, which gives us more purpose, belonging, and happiness than buying and consuming. Stay tuned next time to find out how making choices to help save the environment can reduce stress in your life. And to learn more, visit https://ScottAmyx.com/.